Piper PA31 N34WM

Summary

On 17 May 2023 at about 20:22 local time, a Piper PA31 registered N34WM, operated by JuniPogo LLC, was involved in an accident near Point Thomson, Alaska, United States. 2 people were 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

17 May 2023 at 20:22

Classification

Accident

Location

Point Thomson, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Point Thomson Airstrip (37AA)

Coordinates

70.1360, -146.2900

Aircraft

Piper PA31

Registration

N34WM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1973

Engines

2

Operator

JuniPogo LLC

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Deadhorse → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC23LA036

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s inadvertent descent below the published minimum descent altitude, while operating in flat light conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while established on an RNAV GPS instrument approach to a remote airport, flat light conditions made it difficult to discern topographical features of the snow-covered terrain below. Prior to reaching the decision height altitude, the pilot said he looked outside for the runway environment, but the flat light condition caused him to spend more time looking outside and he became disorientated. When he looked back at the airplane’s instruments, he noticed the airplane was below the glide path and initiated a go-around maneuver; however, the airplane subsequently impacted snow-covered terrain. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.