- Date
- August 21, 1993, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Jay Creek, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6066DPiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19930821039369A
- Case key
- 2411
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 selection of unsuitable terrain on which to land.
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 pilot said that while flying through the mountains the ceiling and visibility gradually got worse to where he did not think he would be able to get through the desired area. He turned around, flew for about 15 minutes, then decided to land on a gravel bar to wait for the weather to improve to try the flight again. About 20 feet after touching down the left main wheel hit a rock. The airplane bounced and the left wing hit the ground.
Factual narrative
On August 21, 1993, at 1200 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA 22 airplane, N6066D, collided with a large rock while landing on a gravel bar at Jay Creek, located about 80 miles northeast of Talkeetna, Alaska. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed Talkeetna at 1100. Visual meteorological conditions existed, and a company VFR flight plan was filed.
Shortly after the accident, during a telephone interview the pilot stated the following in part: "While flying through the mountains the ceiling and visibility gradually got worse to where I didn't think I would be able to get through the area where I wanted to. I turned around, flew for about 15 minutes, then decided to land on a gravel bar to wait for the weather to improve, then try it again. About 20 feet after touching down the left main wheel hit a 30 to 40 pound rock. The left wing tip hit the ground and both wing struts were bent."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6066D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-4719
- Airframe hours
- 4,431
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gifford, William D.
- Registered owner
- Gifford, William D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 15, 1993 · 110 hours before
- Departed
- TKA · Talkeetna, AK
- Destination
- Nelchina, 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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 500 total · 200 in this make and model · 450 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F
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 N6066D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.