# NTSB ANC94LA120: Piper PA-28-181, N31670, Northway, AK, August 21, 1994 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 21, 1994, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC) - Place: Northway, AK - Coordinates: 63.000587, -141.689987 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=63.0006&lon=-141.6900&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 9, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 2552 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC94LA120 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/2552/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC94LA120 ## Probable cause THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE EVALUATION OF THE WEATHER AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL LOOKOUT DURING THE MANEUVER. FACTORS WERE THE LOW CEILINGS AND OBSCURATION. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with terrain/water, maneuvering - weather condition - low ceiling (contributing factor) - weather condition - obscuration (contributing factor) - weather evaluation - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - visual lookout - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis THE PILOT WAS TOLD DURING THE WEATHER BRIEFING THAT THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WOULD BE MARGINAL ALL DAY. DURING THE FLIGHT HE ENCOUNTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE COURSE AND CLIMB AND TRANSITION TO INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS NOT WATCHING OUTSIDE OF THE AIRPLANE WHILE MAKING HIS TURN AND ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE TREETOPS AT 5300 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL. ## Factual narrative On August 21, 1994, at 1230 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-28-181 airplane, N31670, registered to and operated by the pilot, crashed into trees 40 nautical miles southeast of Northway, Alaska. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed Juneau, Alaska, on a VFR flight plan. The destination was Northway with an intermediate stop at Chisana, Alaska. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot received serious injuries and the passenger was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. According to the passenger, the weather was deteriorating as their flight progressed and "they ran out of sky." According to the pilot, the ceiling was at 6500 feet above mean sea level (msl) in the vicinity of White River. He intended to fly up Beaver Creek but the weather was poor. He continued along the "edge of the mountains," toward the Chisana River. He began circling because the weather would not allow him to continue. He started one more circling maneuver while climbing and he began to transition to instrument flight rules. The last thing he remembered was that he had approximately 80 degrees more of turn to complete and adding throttle to increase power. He stated he was not watching outside the airplane as they approached a ridge and he struck the top of a tree. The altimeter read approximately 5300 feet msl. According to the transcripts provided by the Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Evaluations Division, the pilot received a briefing from Juneau Flight Service. The pilot was told the weather was better in the vicinity of Northway, but that there were airmets out for occasional IFR conditions and mountain obscuration for both the Northway area and Juneau, Haines, and the canal area. The Northway terminal forecast called for 1200 scattered, ceilings 2500 broken, light rain, wind 300 at fifteen, occasionally 1200 overcast, visibility 5 miles with light rain and fog. He was told the weather would be marginal all day. There were no pilot reports available. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N31670](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N31670-1996-03-29), registration cancelled 1996-03-29, S/N 287890474 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-181 - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-181](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (registry code 7102807) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28-7890474 - Airframe hours: 2764 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A4M 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Morris, Frank - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 6, 1994, 23 hours before - Departed: JNU, JUNEAU, AK - Destination: CZN, CHISANA, AK - Flight plan: VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 72; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 4,384 total, 2,500 in this make and model, 14 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day - Wind: 180° at 10 knots, gusting 30 - Visibility: 1 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 800 ft overcast - Temperature: 39 °F, dew point 39 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19940821022319A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940821022319A), Aug 21, 1994: Piper PA28181, Northway, AK, Substantial damage. Flew into worsening weather en route. Began climb into clouds. Failed to make timely transition to IFR.struck trees From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.