ANC99FA130

After receiving a full weather briefing, the commercial certificated pilot departed on a VFR scheduled domestic flight with U.S. mail as the cargo. The intended route was over mountainous terrain. When the pilot opened his flight plan, the flight station specialist advised the pilot of AIRMETs for mountain obscuration and icing. After dropping mail at an intermediate stop, the pilot advised he was inbound to a planned refueling stop. The airplane did not arrive, and an ELT signal was reported 22 miles north of the refueling destination. The accident site was located the following day in a direct line between the intermediate stop and the refueling destination. The airplane collided at high speed with a mountain side at 4,500 feet msl of a 4,720 foot mountain. An area forecast included occasional ceilings below 1,000 feet, with visibility below 3 statute miles in light rain and mist. AIRMETs were issued for mountain obscuration, with mountains occasionally obscured in clouds and in precipitation. AIRMETs were issued for icing with occasional moderate rime icing in clouds and in precipitation from 6,000 to 18,000 feet. Search personnel reported that the mountain tops in the area of the ELT were obscured by fog and snow showers. The accident site was covered by about 4 inches of snow.

History of flight

On September 3, 1999, at an estimated time of 1130 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-32R-300 airplane, N9166K, collided with mountainous terrain, about 22 miles north-northwest of Bettles, Alaska. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) scheduled domestic flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by Servant Air Inc., Fairbanks, Alaska, as Flight 502. The commercial certificated pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. A VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Anaktuvuk Pass Airport, Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska, about 1045.

At 0602 on September 3, a company representative telephoned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Fairbanks Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) and requested two standard VFR weather briefings. One briefing was for the accident airplane, N9166K, with a route from Fairbanks, to Tanana, Alaska, to Galena, Alaska, to Lake Minchumina, Alaska, to Fairbanks. The second briefing was for N8540F, with a route from Fairbanks, to Fort Yukon, Alaska, to Bettles, to Anaktuvuk Pass, to Fairbanks. The company representative said he would pick up the weather briefings in person at 0700. The weather data was retrieved by company personnel.

The chief pilot for Servant Air Inc. said the airplane was on a flight from Fairbanks, to Anaktuvuk Pass, to Bettles, and return to Fairbanks. The estimated time of arrival in Fairbanks was 1251. The airplane was carrying about 119 pounds of U.S. mail.

At 0746, the pilot of the accident airplane contacted the Fairbanks AFSS Automated Fast File system by telephone, and filed a VFR flight plan from Fairbanks, to Anaktuvuk Pass, to Bettles, to Fairbanks. He indicated he had two and a half hours of fuel, and he would fuel in Bettles. He said the total time en route was four hours, and his cruising speed was 140 knots.

At 0851, the pilot of the accident airplane contacted the Fairbanks AFSS by radio, stating he was at Murphy Dome, Alaska, (15 miles west of Fairbanks), and activated his flight plan. The AFSS specialist acknowledged the radio contact, and advised the pilot of AIRMETs for mountain obscuration and icing. The pilot then requested the latest weather conditions for Anaktuvuk Pass. The specialist reported, "...Anaktuvuk automated at 35 past the hour; wind, 020 degrees at 5 knots; visibility, 10 miles; few clouds at 3,400 feet, ceiling 4,500 feet overcast; temperature, 5 degrees celsius; dew point, 3 degrees celsius; altimeter, 29.34 inHg; have a pilot report during climb northbound, a Navajo reported 1,000 feet scattered, 2,000 feet broken, pretty much IMC, solid from 6,500 to 10,000 feet,..."

At 0927, the accident pilot contacted the Fairbanks AFSS via Bettles Radio, and requested the latest weather conditions for Anaktuvuk Pass. The specialist reported, "...Anaktuvuk Pass automated at 15 past the hour; wind, 010 degrees at 15 knots; visibility, 10 miles; ceiling 4,300 feet broken, 5,500 feet overcast; temperature 6 degrees celsius; dew point, 3 degrees celsius; altimeter, 29.34 inHg."

The village agent for the company in Anaktuvuk Pass, reported the accident airplane departed about 1045.

A weather observer with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contract weather observation station in Bettles, said the pilot of the airplane made a radio call with words to the effect that he was "inbound" to Bettles. The airplane did not arrive, and was subsequently reported overdue by the company. An alert notice (ALNOT) was issued at 1342.

Several time/location disparities were noted during the accident investigation. In his personnel statement, the AFSS specialist who opened the pilot's flight plan departing Fairbanks, reported the flight plan was opened at 0815, rather than 0851, which was recorded on the Fairbanks AFSS audio tapes. On the company's flight log paperwork recovered from the accident airplane, the pilot noted that his departure at 0815 was from Bettles, not Fairbanks, with an arrival at Anaktuvuk Pass at 1010. The pilot then noted a departure from Anaktuvuk Pass at 1025, with a destination of Bettles. In addition, the weather observer at Bettles noted the time of the pilot's "inbound" radio call on a piece of note paper as 1230 local time. The distance from Anaktuvuk Pass to Bettles is 73 nautical miles.

Search personnel located the accident site on September 4, 1999, about 1330, at an elevation of about 4,500 feet msl. The wreckage was found on the northwest face of Twoday Mountain. The elevation of Twoday Mountain is 4,720 feet msl. The accident site was covered by about 4 inches of snow. The accident site was located on a direct line, oriented 150 degrees, between Anaktuvuk Pass, and Bettles.

The accident occurred during the hours of daylight at latitude 67 degrees, 16.644 minutes north, and longitude 151 degrees, 36.132 minutes west.

Personnel information

The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane ratings. The most recent second-class medical certificate was issued to the pilot on August 31, 1999, and contained the limitation that the holder shall wear corrective lenses.

No personal flight records were located for the pilot. The aeronautical experience listed on page 3 of this report was obtained from company records. A review of the airmen FAA records on file in the Airman and Medical Records Center located in Oklahoma City, revealed that on the pilot's application for medical certificate, dated August 31, 1999, indicated that his total aeronautical experience consisted of about 2,800 hours, of which 100 hours were accrued in the previous 6 months.

Aircraft information

At the accident scene, the airplane's Hobbs meter indicated 5928.5 hours. Examination of the maintenance records revealed the airplane had accrued 7,531.3 hours. The most recent annual inspection was accomplished on March 11, 1999, 484.7 hours before the accident. In addition, a 100-hour inspection was completed on August 2, 1999, 91.2 hours before the accident. A 50-hour inspection was done on August 18, 1999, 41.9 hours before the accident.

The engine had accrued a total time of 5,527.6 hours. As of March 11, 1999, the engine had accrued 1,698.3 hours since being overhauled on February 18, 1997. The annual, 100-hour, and 50-hour inspections were accomplished on the dates specified above for the airframe.

Meteorological information

An area forecast for the northern half of Alaska, issued on September 3, 1999, at 0545, and valid until 2400, stated, in part: A 990 millibar low near Manley Hot Springs, Alaska, will move just north of Barter Island LRRS by 2400. An associated occluded front between Tanana, Alaska, to Fort Yukon, Alaska, to Mayo, Canada, will move to the Arctic coast by 1900, and well offshore by 2400. Another 990 millibar low, 10 miles south of Gambell, Alaska, will move just south of Hooper Bay, Alaska, by 2400. A trough of low pressure extending south will move with the low.

For the upper Yukon Valley, valid until 1800; clouds and sky condition, 5,000 feet scattered, 7,000 feet overcast, tops at 10,000 feet, merging layers above to 28,000 feet. Occasionally, 5,000 feet broken; visibility, 4 statute miles in light rain and mist. Outlook, valid from 1800 to September 4, 1999, at 1200; marginal VFR with ceilings due to snow and rain. Turbulence; isolated moderate turbulence below 6,000 feet. Icing and freezing level; AIRMET for icing from Fairbanks to Arctic Village, Alaska, westward, occasional moderate rime icing in clouds and in precipitation from 6,000 to 18,000 feet. Freezing level, 6,000 feet, no change.

For the Tanana Valley, valid until 1800; AIRMET for mountain obscuration, mountains occasionally obscured in clouds and precipitation, no change. Clouds and sky conditi