Piper PA-31-350 incident near Talkeetna, Alaska, June 18, 2002
On June 18, 2002 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N828KT, was involved in an incident near Talkeetna, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured; 8 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The passenger's incapacitation during a high altitude flight due to a loss of consciousness as the result of a pre-existing cardiovascular condition. A contributing factor in the incident was the operator's improper use of disposable oxygen masks without a reservoir bag above the recommended upper altitude limit for use of this type mask.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 18, 2002 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 8 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N828KT · registry record · serial 31-8052098
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A passenger with a history of coronary artery disease, and coronary surgery, became unconscious in a non-pressurized twin-engine airplane during a sightseeing flight at 21,000 feet. All passengers on the flight were utilizing supplemental oxygen from the airplane's oxygen system. The passenger was supported in an upright, seated position as the flight returned to the departure airport where she was met by emergency medical personnel and transported by ambulance, lying down on a stretcher. The passenger regained consciousness en route to a hospital for initial treatment where diagnostic studies were consistent with heart attack and congestive heart failure. Although her initial diagnosis included possible high altitude pulmonary and cerebral edema, this is unlikely since the flight was less than 1 hour and these symptoms usually occur only after a day or more exposure to high altitude. The passenger's condition was most likely related to her previous history of heart disease, exacerbated by exposure to decreased oxygen supply, and continuous vertical position for many minutes following her loss of consciousness. The passenger was subsequently released for in-home rehabilitation two months later with a diagnosis of an anoxic brain injury. According to the pilot's operating handbook, the FAA approved passenger oxygen mask for the incident airplane is a partial rebreather mask equipped with a reservoir bag at a flow rate of 1.5 or 2.0 liters per minute, however, on the incident flight, the passengers were using a disposable, hospital type oxygen mask without a reservoir bag, at a flow rate of 1.5 liters per minute. FAA oxygen system certification standards, at 21,000 feet, require a minimum flow rate of about 1.8 liters per minute, and the recommended upper altitude limit for use of an oxygen mask without a reservoir bag is 15,000 feet. Following the incident, the operator changed the passenger oxygen masks to an FAA approved mask with a reservoir bag, at a flow rate of 3.0 liters per minute.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 170 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days; 4,600 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 20, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PATK Talkeetna AK at 4:00 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from PATK, 50 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 7 |
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.