Piper PA-32 accident near Haines, AK
On September 2, 1996, a Piper PA-32 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Haines, AK. 4 people were seriously injured. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- September 2, 1996
- Place
- Haines, AK
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 0 fatal, 4 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 59.160°N, 135.861°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X06644
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 1, 1996, about 1756 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-32 airplane, N2181Z, registered to and operated by LAB Flying Service, sustained substantial damage when it collided with a glacier approximately 11 miles southwest of Haines, Alaska. The commercial certificated pilot and three of the five passengers aboard received serious injuries; the remaining two passengers received minor injuries. The 14 CFR Part 135 scheduled commuter flight, Flight 514, operated in visual meteorological conditions. The flight originated at Gustavus, Alaska, about 1740, and the destination was Haines. The route of flight from Gustavus was principally northward along the eastern coastline of Glacier Bay, into Muir Inlet, and then northeast over the Casement Glacier towards the Davis Glacier and Haines. The airplane collided with the Davis Glacier while in a descending turn to reverse direction. The pilot reported in his written statement to the NTSB that he had previously flown the same route from Gustavus to Haines earlier that day, and thus was familiar with the terrain and weather conditions in the vicinity. He estimated the sky conditions as approximately 6,000 feet overcast, with visibility about 12 to 15 miles. As he approached the Davidson Glacier, the pilot said he could see a fog bank near Sullivan Mountain, which was near his intended route of flight. He said he elected to fly closer to the fog bank to see if he could see through the adjacent pass which would lead him to the Chilkat Inlet and Haines. Approximately 3 to 5 miles from the fog, he
Probable cause
the pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from terrain, while maneuvering to reverse the direction of flight. Factors associated with the accident were: the pilot's inadequate weather evaluation; and the terrain and weather, which resulted in a whiteout condition.
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Browse: Alaska · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
