Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kaltag, Alaska 99748
Monday, September 3, 1990 15:20 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE #2 ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AS HE WAS FLYING UNDER A LOW OVERCAST & ABOUT 500 FT ABOVE A RIVER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED & THE FUSELAGE & LEFT PROPELLER CONTACTED THE WATER. WITH THESE PROBLEMS & DECREASING VISIBILITY AHEAD, THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN. HE SAID THAT ABOUT MIDWAY THROUGH THE TURN, THE #2 ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. THE AIRPLANE THEN CRASHED INTO TREES & WAS DESTROYED BY A POST-IMPACT FIRE. NO REASON WAS FOUND FOR EITHER ENGINE TO LOSE POWER BEFORE WATER OR TREE CONTACT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE AFTER BECOMING DISTRACTED WITH AN ENGINE PROBLEM. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: LOSS OF POWER IN THE #2 ENGINE FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON AND THE LOW OVERCAST CONDITION.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/3/1990 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1520 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | KALTAG |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99748 |
| Event Date Year | 1990 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NONE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 700 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 2 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 7 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 6 |
| Injury Total All | 10 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1737 |
| NTSB Notification Source | |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 3 1990 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2015 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 43470 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 5:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Unknown |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N59783 |
| NTSB Number | ANC90FA161 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-31-325 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-31-325 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 31-7612024 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 8 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CHRISTOPHER A. STEPOVICH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 323 CHARLES ST. |
| Aircraft Owner City | FAIRBANKS |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99701 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | FRONTIER FLYING SERVICE |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3820 UNIVERSITY AVENUE |
| Operator City | FAIRBANKS |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 99709 |
| Operator Code | FFSA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | NUL |
| Departure City | NULATO |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1510 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | KAL |
| Destination City | KALTAG |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |