Piper PA-31-T3 N219CS

Summary

On 21 February 2000 at about 15:23 local time, a Piper PA-31-T3 registered N219CS was involved in an accident near Kotzebue, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 February 2000 at 15:23

Classification

Accident

Location

Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Ralph Wein Memorial (OTZ)

Coordinates

67.2408, -161.1897

Aircraft

Piper PA-31-T3

Registration

N219CS

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Point Lay → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC00LA029

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot descended below the minimum descent altitude. Factors associated with this accident were the task overload of the pilot during the instrument approach, and not performing a level off.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane collided with frozen pack ice, three miles from the airport, during a GPS instrument approach. Instrument conditions of 3/4 mile visibility in snow and fog were reported at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that he began a steep descent with the autopilot engaged. He indicated that as the airplane crossed the final approach course, the autopilot turned the airplane inbound toward the airport. He continued the steep descent, noted the airplane had overshot the course, and the autopilot was not correcting very well. He disengaged the autopilot and manually increased the correction heading to intercept the final approach course. During the descent he completed the landing checklist, extended the landing gear and flaps, and was tuning both the communications and navigation radios. The pilot said he looked up from tuning the radios to see the sea ice coming up too quickly to react, and impacted terrain. The pilot relayed there were no preaccident anomalies with the airplane, and that he 'did not stay ahead of the airplane.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.