- Date
- June 28, 1991, 10:10 local (18:10 UTC)
- Place
- Whittier, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4362VPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910628025109A
- Case key
- 5565
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 pilot's failure to maintain proper flying speed.
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.
Analysis
The flight departed merrill field for a sightseeing trip. The flight was near surprise glacier and maneuvering at 2,400 feet above mean sea level, but very close to the terrain. The pilot stated the airplane stalled and he did not have sufficient room in which to recover. The airplane landed across the face of the mountain, below the glacier, slid to a stop, and then caught fire. The pilot stated there were no mechanical difficulties with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4362V
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8416096
- Airframe hours
- 4,307
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ulmer Inc.
- Registered owner
- Ulmer Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 27, 1991 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 341 total · 37 in this make and model · 283 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 50 °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.
Other investigations on N4362V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.