- Date
- September 20, 1991, 18:30 local (Sep 21, 1991, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Stoney River, AK
- Injuries
- 3 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8143DPiper PA-22-160
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910920042469A
- Case key
- 5623
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 attain a proper climb. Factors in the accident were: the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane, his inadequate training in that model airplane, his lack of total experience, his inflight planning/decision, his overconfidence in his personal ability, the unfavorable wind, and the mountainous terrain.
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 unlicensed pilot stated that after making a low pass over a remote hunting strip, he added power to make a go-around. The airplane's nose pitched up steeply, and a crosswind caused the airplane to turn and fly into a canyon. To avoid a stall, he reduced power and pushed the nose down. He then encountered a downdraft which pushed the airplane down into the trees. The pilot had purchased the airplane 2-3 days previously and had only about 6 hours in this type airplane. He reported having a total of 500 flight hours, of which only 5 were with an instructor. Several modifications had been performed on the airplane, two of which were not approved. The pilot said his lack of familiarity with some of the airplane's unusual handling characteristics contributed to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8143D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-5634
- Airframe hours
- 2,368
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Daniel C. Herman
- Registered owner
- Lecorchick, Joseph
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 26, 1988 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- RDV · Red Devil, AK
- Destination
- SXQ · Soldotna, 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
- 41
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 500 total · 6 in this make and model · 495 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
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 N8143D · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.