Piper PA-32-301 accident near Port Heiden, AK
On December 14, 2006, a Piper PA-32-301 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Port Heiden, AK. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 14, 2006
- Place
- Port Heiden, AK
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-301 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 57.176°N, 158.417°W
- NTSB ID
- 20061221X01831
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 14, 2006, about 1810 Alaska standard time, a Piper PA-32-301 airplane, N8361Q, was destroyed when it collided with remote, snow-covered terrain, about 15 miles northeast of Port Heiden, Alaska. The airplane was operated by Peninsula Airways, Inc., Anchorage, Alaska. The flight was being conducted under Title 14, CFR Part 135, as scheduled commuter Flight 842, when the accident occurred. The certificated commercial pilot, and the one passenger, received fatal injuries. Company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated at the Port Heiden Airport, Port Heiden, about 1800, and was en route to King Salmon, Alaska. Witnesses reported that the accident airplane departed the Port Heiden Airport to the northeast in dark night conditions. The accident pilot contacted company dispatch personnel at 1805, and reported that he was en route to King Salmon, with an estimated time en route of 1 hour. No further radio communications were received from the accident airplane. When the flight failed to arrive at King Salmon by 1900, company dispatch personnel began a phone search of locations along the pilot's anticipated route, but were unable to locate the airplane. A company aerial search was initiated from King Salmon about 1930. The flight was officially reported overdue to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at 1937. An emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was subsequently detected in a remote area about 15 miles northeast of Port Heiden, along the flight's route. Search and rescue personnel from Port Heiden initiated a gro
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during cruise flight, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent, and an in-flight collision with snow-covered terrain. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's spatial disorientation, and dark night conditions.
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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.
