Forney F-1A accident near Whittier, Alaska, February 24, 2001
On February 24, 2001 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Forney F-1A, registered N3032G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Whittier, Alaska (Whittier airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, and his selection of unsuitable terrain for landing. A factor in the accident was snow-covered terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 2001 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Whittier, Alaska · Whittier · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Forney F-1A · all F-1As on the register
- Registration
- N3032G · registry record · serial 5727
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot landed a wheel airplane on a runway covered with several feet of snow. The airplane nosed down, and received damage to the left wing, the left aileron, the nose wheel strut assembly, and the firewall. The runway had accumulated between 4 and 5 feet of snow, and it had not been plowed. According to the Airport Facility Directory/Alaska Supplement, the description of the airport contains a caution, that states: "Runway condition not monitored, recommend visual inspection prior to landing. No winter maintenance. Closed from first snowfall until after breakup." The airplane was found the following day of the accident, unoccupied, by a local police officer. The police officer located persons at a local hotel who were pointed out by other patrons as being the pilot and passenger of the accident airplane. When the pilot was asked about the circumstances of the accident, the pilot refused all information, including his identity, and that of the passenger. The pilot referred all questions to his attorney. After contacting the pilot's attorney, no additional information was provided to the police.
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,800 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: June 30, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 27, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 1,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAMR Anchorage AK at 9:20 pm
- Destination: CKU Cordova AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 21, 1,480 ft by 58 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from PAWR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.