- Date
- August 28, 1998, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Arctic Village, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3100ZPiper PA-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 28, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19980828022479A
- Case key
- 43875
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 delayed action to abort the landing. Factors associated with the accident were a tail wind, and rising 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 pilot was landing to the west on an off-airport site. He stated that after touchdown he realized he would be unable to stop the airplane before reaching the end of the landing site, and attempted to abort the landing. He said that he applied full takeoff power, and the airplane became airborne, but failed to gain sufficient altitude to clear rising terrain at the end of the site. The airplane collided with a dry creek bed, and sustained substantial damage to the wings, and fuselage. The pilot noted that wind conditions at the time of the accident were estimated to be from the southeast at 5 knots, with peak gusts to 10 knots. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On August 28, 1998, about 1300 Alaska daylight time, N3100Z, a wheel equipped Piper PA-22 airplane converted to a tailwheel configuration, sustained substantial damage during an aborted landing at an off airport landing site, about 80 miles northeast of Arctic Village, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The certificated private pilot and the one passenger aboard were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Chalkyitsik Airport, Chalkyitsik, Alaska, about 1115.
In his written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilot reported that he was landing to the west on the 900 feet long landing site. He stated that after touchdown he realized he would be unable to stop the airplane before reaching the end of the landing site, and attempted to abort the landing. He said that he applied full takeoff power, and the airplane became airborne, but failed to gain sufficient altitude to clear rising terrain at the end of the site. The airplane collided with a dry creek bed, and sustained substantial damage to the wings, and fuselage.
The pilot noted that wind conditions at the time of the accident were estimated to be from the southeast at 5 knots, with peak gusts to 10 knots.
The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3100Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-7037
- Airframe hours
- 2,306
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 lbs thrust, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David Poppe
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1997 · 67 hours before
- Departed
- CIK · Chalkyitsik, AK
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--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 278 total · 174 in this make and model · 204 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 29 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Temperature
- 64 °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 N3100Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.