- Date
- October 11, 1992, 20:30 local (Oct 12, 1992, 04:30 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N16275Piper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19921011043759A
- Case key
- 2302
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 continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions at night which resulted in a loss of airplane control, spatial disorientation, and an inflight breakup. Factors which contributed to the accident were: the adverse weather and the dark night.
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 had departed fairbanks on a VFR flight plan with a destination of anchorage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at both the departure point and the destination; however, there were reported areas of instrument meteorological conditions en route. The airplane crashed into trees 11 mi north of Talkeetna. The left outboard 4 ft of wing and the left stabilator were located 3/8 mi west of the main wreckage.
Factual narrative
On October 11, 1992, at 2030 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Piper, PA 28 180 airplane, N16275, crashed into trees one mile east of mile marker 131 of the Parks Highway, which is located 11 miles north of Talkeetna, Alaska. The airplane was registered to H and H Air Services of Anchorage, Alaska, and was rented by the Pilot in Command. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, last departed Fairbanks, Alaska, at 1830 on a visual flight rules flight plan and the destination was Merrill Field in Anchorage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure point and the destination; however, there were reported areas of instrument meteorological conditions en route. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces, and the Pilot in Command and the three passengers were fatally injured.
Preliminary examination of the wreckage shows that the left outboard 4 feet of wing and the left stabilator were located 3/8 of a mile west of the main airplane wreckage.
This airplane was reported missing on October 11, 1992, at 2248 Alaska standard time and was located on May 22, 1993. The previous preliminary report number was ANC93FAMS2.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16275
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7305218
- Airframe hours
- 6,246
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Brewer, Matthew J.
- Registered owner
- H&H Air Services Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 12, 1992
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Flight plan
- 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
- 23
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 20 in this make and model · 20 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TKA, 14 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.