Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kotzebue, Alaska 99572
Monday, April 3, 1989 19:15 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PRIVATE PILOT, A STATE FISH AND WILDLIFE PROTECTION OFFICER, CONTINUED VFR INTO IFR CONDITIONS THEN LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED THE AIRPLANE WHILE TRYING TO EXECUTE A 180 DEGREE TURN BACK TO VFR CONDITION. THE CRASH WAS ABOUT TWO HOURS BEFORE SUNSET AND 14 NM FROM HIS HOME BASE FROM WHICH THE PILOT HAD DEPARTED OVER 8 HOURS EARLIER. HIS PVT PILOT CERTIFICATE HAD A LIMITATION PROHIBITING NIGHT FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT EQUIPPED, & THE PILOT WAS NOT RATED FOR, INSTRUMENT FLIGHT. ALTHOUGH AVAILABLE AT THE POINT OF DEPARTURE AND ENROUTE, NO WX BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED EITHER PRIOR TO OR DURING THE FLIGHT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO IFR CONDITIONS AND FAILED TO MAINTAIN THE ALTITUDE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO OBTAIN A WEATHER BRIEFING AND THE DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS WHICH WERE ENCOUNTERED.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/3/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1915 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | KOTZEBUE |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99572 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | OTZ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 14 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 80 |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1955 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 80 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OTZ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 11 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2200 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Partial Obscuration |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 120 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 28 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 81 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 4 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 835 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 38275 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7085 |
| NTSB Number | ANC89GA055 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-18 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-18 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18-8069 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1750 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 37 |
| Airframe Hours | 8322 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | STATE OF ALASKA |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4353 AIRCRAFT DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | ANCHORAGE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99503 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Unknown |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Unknown |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | WLK |
| Departure City | SELAWIK |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1830 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | OTZ |
| Destination City | KOTZEBUE |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 22 2001 3:26PM |
| 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 | -- |