Piper PA-32-300 accident near Russian Mission, Alaska, October 28, 1999
On October 28, 1999 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N31606, was substantially damaged in an accident near Russian Mission, Alaska (Russian Mission airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued flight into adverse weather, and an inadvertent stall. Factors in the accident were adverse weather consisting of icing conditions, and airframe icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 28, 1999 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Russian Mission, Alaska · Russian Mission · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N31606 · no longer on the register · serial 32-780137
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot was conducting a visual flight rules (VFR) scheduled flight to a remote village. During a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge, the director of operations for the company said that during the final approach phase for landing, the pilot reported he appeared to be slow and added power, but the airplane stalled about 15 feet above the ground. The main landing gear struck a berm at the approach end of the runway. The right main landing gear was sheared off. The left main gear axle was fractured. The right wing tip was damaged, and fuel was leaking from the right auxiliary fuel tank. Following the accident, the director of operations for the company flew to the accident site. He said that he encountered isolated snow showers while en route. When he examined the accident airplane, he said he noticed a trace of ice on the airplane elevator. In the Pilot/Operator report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) submitted by the operator, the pilot indicated that he flew through a large shower and collected ice on the airplane. On the approach to the airport, the pilot indicated his airspeed was 70 knots, and the airplane was performing normally until it suddenly lost altitude.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,335 hours in all; 2,900 in this make and model; 304 in the last 90 days; 113 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,011 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 19, 1999; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-KIA5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PANI Aniak AK at 5:30 pm
- Destination: RSH
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 35, 2,700 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 315° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 18°F (-8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.