Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Haines, Alaska 99827
Tuesady, January 15, 2002 8:20 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The commercial certificated air taxi pilot, the sole occupant, was scheduled to depart on a domestic passenger flight for an intermediate airport, located 14 miles south of the departure airport. The pilot was to pick up two passengers for a continuing flight to the planned destination. The route of the flight was along fjord type terrain, consisting of steep mountain slopes above a long inlet of water. The flight to the intermediate airport usually took about 10 minutes. The pilot delayed his departure for about 10 minutes while he waited for weather conditions along the route to improve. After departure, the pilot reported via radio that he was at a commonly used visual reporting point, about four miles south of the departure airport. The airplane did not arrive at the intermediate airport, and no further communication was received from the accident airplane. An aerial search located the wreckage in an area of steep forested terrain, 300 feet above the inlet water. The airplane collided with several trees before descending to the ground. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the intermediate airport, but low cloud conditions prevailed along the route of flight from the departure airport. At the time of the accident, an automated weather observation system (ASOS), located 5 miles southwest of the accident site, was reporting the weather conditions, in part, as having a visibility of four statute miles in light freezing rain and mist; clouds and sky condition, 800 feet overcast; temperature, 32 degrees F; dew point, 31 degrees F. The terminal forecast for the departure airport, and the area forecast, contained low visibilities in light rain and mist. An AIRMET was issued for mountain obscuration in clouds and precipitation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and subsequent collision with trees while in cruise flight. Factors in the accident were weather conditions consisting of freezing rain, mist, and low ceilings.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/15/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 820 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | HAINES |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99827 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 591626N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1352203W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 821 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 135 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PAHN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 16 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 800 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 4 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 0 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 253 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.35 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12544 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 15 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 923 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 16 2003 4:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-AL-JNU FSDO 05 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N30004 |
| NTSB Number | ANC02FA010 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-7840120 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 24 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 93 |
| Airframe Hours | 8258 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SKAGWAY AIR SERVICES INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 357 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SKAGWAY |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99840 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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 | FYOA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PAGY |
| Departure City | SKAGWAY |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 810 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | PAHN |
| Destination City | HAINES |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 23 2002 6:23PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |