Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Manokotak, Alaska 99628
Saturday, March 23, 2002 11:40 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The commercial certificated pilot telephoned an FAA Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) and obtained a weather briefing for a flight to a remote airport, located about 58 miles from the departure airport. The briefing included marginal weather conditions at the departure airport, but improved conditions at the destination. An ARMET had been issued for mountain obscurations in the areas between the departure and destination airports. The pilot ended his weather briefing by filing a VFR flight plan. Just before departure, the AFSS specialist advised the pilot that he had received a pilot report for the area between the departure and destination airports. The pilot report included occasional visibilities 3 to 5 miles and occasional visibilities down to zero. The reporting pilot stated he followed the treeline into an intermediate airport (near the eventual crash site), and visibility and ceilings were low in the mountainous areas along the route. The accident pilot acknowledged the report and then departed. About 2 1/2 hours later, the flight was reported overdue, and an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was received in an area about 18 miles west-southwest of the departure airport. The flight never reached the destination airport. Low visibility and blowing snow prevented searchers from reaching the scene until the following day. The airplane wreckage was located in an area on snow-covered hill, about 1,300 feet msl. A postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and subsequent collision with terrain during cruise flight. Factors in the accident were low ceilings, snow, and mountainous snow-covered terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/23/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1140 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | MANOKOTAK |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99628 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 585621N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1591511W |
| 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 | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1051 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PADL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 86 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 25 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 700 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 3 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -3 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 11 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.81 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Moderate |
| 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) | 12841 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 23 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1311 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 15 2003 4:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-AL-ANC FSDO 03 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1220R |
| NTSB Number | ANC02FA025 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| 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-28-235 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7310051 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3000 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 14 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 79.9 |
| Airframe Hours | 3308.9 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Corp. of the Catholic Archbishop of Anchorage |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 225 Cordova St. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Anchorage |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99501 |
| 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 | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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 | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PADL |
| Departure City | DILLINGHAM |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1034 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PATG |
| Destination City | TOGIAK |
| 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 | Dec 17 2002 12:09PM |
| 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 | -- |