- Date
- August 14, 1991, 19:00 local (Aug 15, 1991, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gustavus, AK
- Injuries
- 6 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4075WPiper PA-32
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 10, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910814034439A
- Case key
- 41334
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
VFR flight by the pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and the pilot's failure to maintain sufficient altitude and/or clearance from mountainous terrain. Factors related to the accident were: the adverse weather and terrain conditions.
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
After departing the Gustavus arpt, the plt turned the acft toward excursion inlet & air-filed a VFR flt plan. After the flt plan was filed, there were no further radio transmissions from the acft. A search was initiated, but hvy fog, clouds & darkness hampered the search. Wreckage was found the next morning, where the acft had crashed on steep rising terrain in a box canyon area. Impact occurred at the end of a valley that began near excursion inlet. Elevation of the crash site was aprx 4000 ft, terrain in that area rose to about 4600 ft. two other pilots that departed haines near the time of the acdnt rprtd the ceiling was broken to overcast at about 4000 ft. rprtdly, the mountain tops were obscured, but the visibility below the clouds was about 20 mi. The prop blades were found with deep chordwise scars & leading edge/rotational damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4075W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-40115
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Haines Airways
- Departed
- GST · Gustavus, AK
- Destination
- HNS · Haines, 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
- 53
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,700 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 3,500 as pilot in command · 81 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Observed at
- GST, 13 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.
Other investigations on N4075W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.