Piper PA-32-300 N31606

Summary

On 28 October 1999 at about 23:00 local time, a Piper PA-32-300 registered N31606 was involved in an accident near Russian Mission, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 October 1999 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Russian Mission, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Russian Mission (RSH)

Coordinates

61.8102, -161.4401

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-300

Registration

N31606

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Aniak → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC00LA009

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's continued flight into adverse weather, and an inadvertent stall. Factors in the accident were adverse weather consisting of icing conditions, and airframe icing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial certificated pilot was conducting a visual flight rules (VFR) scheduled flight to a remote village. During a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the director of operations for the company said that during the final approach phase for landing, the pilot reported he appeared to be slow and added power, but the airplane stalled about 15 feet above the ground. The main landing gear struck a berm at the approach end of the runway. The right main landing gear was sheared off. The left main gear axle was fractured. The right wing tip was damaged, and fuel was leaking from the right auxiliary fuel tank. Following the accident, the director of operations for the company flew to the accident site. He said that he encountered isolated snow showers while en route. When he examined the accident airplane, he said he noticed a trace of ice on the airplane elevator. In the Pilot/Operator report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) submitted by the operator, the pilot indicated that he flew through a large shower and collected ice on the airplane. On the approach to the airport, the pilot indicated his airspeed was 70 knots, and the airplane was performing normally until it suddenly lost altitude.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.