Piper PA-32R-301 accident near Fairbanks, AK
On July 19, 2012, a Piper PA-32R-301 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Fairbanks, AK. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 19, 2012
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-301 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 65.454°N, 147.556°W
- NTSB ID
- 20120706X65939
Official records · ANC12FA066
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- ATC - Radar Study: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- ATC - Attachment 1: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- ATC - Attachment 2: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- ATC - Attachment 3: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- ATC - Attachment 4: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn July 18, 2012, about 1646 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301 airplane, N432LT, was destroyed after an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain about 43 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska. The non-instrument rated private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to LNP Saratoga Inc., Palo Alto, California, and operated by West Valley Flying Club, Palo Alto. The airplane was being operated as a 14 CFR Part 91 visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. At the time of the accident, instrument meteorological conditions were reported in the area of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the airplane's point of departure. The accident flight originated at the Fort Yukon Airport, Fort Yukon, Alaska, about 1600, en route to Fairbanks, the flight's final destination for the day. According to the leader of the group the accident pilot was flying with, the accident airplane was the third of three airplanes that were touring northern Canada and Alaska. On the day of the accident, the group was scheduled to fly from Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada, to Fairbanks. The first airplane in the group flew to Fairbanks uneventfully. The other two airplanes encountered deteriorating weather conditions while en route to Fairbanks, which required an unscheduled stop in Fort Yukon to refuel. There are no longer fueling services at Fort Yukon; however, the group was able to obtain fuel from a local operator to continue the flight. After departing Fort Yukon, the two airp
Probable cause
The noninstrument-rated pilot's decision to continue visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions likely leading to spatial disorientation, which resulted in a loss of airplane control and in-flight structural failure.
More accidents in AK
- Beech 1900C, Nov 23, 1987
- Textron Aviation Inc 208B, Feb 6, 2025
- Dehavilland DHC-3, Jul 7, 2013
- Cessna 208, Oct 10, 2001
- Dehavilland DHC-3, Jun 25, 2015
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.
