- Date
- January 6, 1990, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bettles, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2728PPiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900106000619A
- Case key
- 5332
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Failure of the pilot to maintain sufficient altitude. Factors related to the accident were: the high density altitude, high wind, downdraft, and mountainous terrain.
Analysis
The plt rprtd that as he was flying over mountainous terrain, a severe downdraft was enctrd near a ridge. Subsequently, the acft dscndd to the ground & crashed. Elevation of the crash site was about 3600 ft. the plt estimated the wind was from 290 deg at 65 KTS.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2728P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 223034
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James Brown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Old Man, AK
- Destination
- Caribou Bar, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 166 total · 80 in this make and model · 128 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 65 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 16 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.