Piper PA-22-150 N3609Z

Summary

On 1 July 2025 at about 00:30 local time, a Piper PA-22-150 registered N3609Z was involved in an accident near Chinitna Bay, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

1 July 2025 at 00:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Chinitna Bay, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

59.8795, -153.0528

Aircraft

Piper PA-22-150

Registration

N3609Z

Category

Airplane

Year built

1960

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Soldonta → Soldonta

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC25LA060

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On June 30, 2025, about 1630 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA 22-150 airplane, N3609Z, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Chinitna Bay, Alaska. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that, while en route he heard two or three loud “thuds” followed by reduced rudder control. He said that the airplane began to yaw back and forth and increased when he added engine power. The pilot made the decision to perform a precautionary landing on a remote beach. During the landing the right wheel touched down first, and the airplane veered to the right. The pilot said that he had no rudder control and attempted to correct with left aileron to no avail, subsequently the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, lift struts and rudder. Examination of the airframe is pending the recovery of the wreckage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.