Piper PA-32-301 accident near Ekuk, Alaska, January 26, 2000
On January 26, 2000 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-301, registered N8004N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ekuk, Alaska (Ekuk 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable runway for landing. Factors associated with the accident were the inadequate runway maintenance by the runway maintenance personnel, snow berms, and insufficient runway condition information disseminated by the company dispatcher.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 26, 2000 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Ekuk, Alaska · Ekuk · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-301 · all PA-32-301s on the register
- Registration
- N8004N · registry record · serial 32-8206014
- 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 pilot was landing on a privately maintained, 1,200 feet long, snow-covered runway. The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge that his flight scheduler told him the village agent had said the runway was plowed, graded, and open. He indicated that he made a low pass to inspect the runway, and it appeared open. During the landing roll, the left wing struck a snow berm and sustained substantial damage. The runway had been plowed about 1,000 feet long, and about 40 feet wide. The pilot indicated the berms on the side of the runway were about 6 feet high, and not visible from the air. The tips of the airplane's wings were about 4 feet high. The Alaska Supplement contains the statement for the airport that the 'runways are not maintained during winter months.'
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,024 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 56 in the last 30 days; 2,622 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,619 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 8, 2000; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLP Clarks Point AK at 7:05 pm
- Destination: KKU
- Runway 1, 1,200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 15 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 7°F (-14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 28.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC00LA022.