Piper PA-32R-300 N9166K

Summary

On 3 September 1999 at about 19:30 local time, a Piper PA-32R-300 registered N9166K, operated by Servant Air Inc., was involved in an accident near Bettles, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 September 1999 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Bettles, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

67.2404, -152.2697

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-300

Registration

N9166K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Servant Air Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Anaktuvuk Pass → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC99FA130

1 person died.

The pilot's continued flight into known adverse weather conditions. Factors in the accident were low ceilings and snow.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

After receiving a full weather briefing, the commercial certificated pilot departed on a VFR scheduled domestic flight with U.S. mail as the cargo. The intended route was over mountainous terrain. When the pilot opened his flight plan, the flight station specialist advised the pilot of AIRMETs for mountain obscuration and icing. After dropping mail at an intermediate stop, the pilot advised he was inbound to a planned refueling stop. The airplane did not arrive, and an ELT signal was reported 22 miles north of the refueling destination. The accident site was located the following day in a direct line between the intermediate stop and the refueling destination. The airplane collided at high speed with a mountain side at 4,500 feet msl of a 4,720 foot mountain. An area forecast included occasional ceilings below 1,000 feet, with visibility below 3 statute miles in light rain and mist. AIRMETs were issued for mountain obscuration, with mountains occasionally obscured in clouds and in precipitation. AIRMETs were issued for icing with occasional moderate rime icing in clouds and in precipitation from 6,000 to 18,000 feet. Search personnel reported that the mountain tops in the area of the ELT were obscured by fog and snow showers. The accident site was covered by about 4 inches of snow.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.