Piper PA-32R-300 accident near Bettles, AK
On September 3, 1999, a Piper PA-32R-300 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Bettles, AK. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- September 3, 1999
- Place
- Bettles, AK
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-300 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 67.240°N, 152.270°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X19658
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 3, 1999, at an estimated time of 1130 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-32R-300 airplane, N9166K, collided with mountainous terrain, about 22 miles north-northwest of Bettles, Alaska. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) scheduled domestic flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by Servant Air Inc., Fairbanks, Alaska, as Flight 502. The commercial certificated pilot, the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. A VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Anaktuvuk Pass Airport, Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska, about 1045. At 0602 on September 3, a company representative telephoned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Fairbanks Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) and requested two standard VFR weather briefings. One briefing was for the accident airplane, N9166K, with a route from Fairbanks, to Tanana, Alaska, to Galena, Alaska, to Lake Minchumina, Alaska, to Fairbanks. The second briefing was for N8540F, with a route from Fairbanks, to Fort Yukon, Alaska, to Bettles, to Anaktuvuk Pass, to Fairbanks. The company representative said he would pick up the weather briefings in person at 0700. The weather data was retrieved by company personnel. The chief pilot for Servant Air Inc. said the airplane was on a flight from Fairbanks, to Anaktuvuk Pass, to Bettles, and return to Fairbanks. The estimated time of arrival in Fairbanks was 1251. The airplane was carrying about 119 pounds of U.S. mail. At 0746, the pilot of the
Probable cause
The pilot's continued flight into known adverse weather conditions. Factors in the accident were low ceilings and snow.
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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.
