Aviat A-1B accident near King Salmon, Alaska, December 19, 2002
On December 19, 2002 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Aviat A-1B, registered N57HY, was substantially damaged in an accident near King Salmon, Alaska. It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 19, 2002 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- King Salmon, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat A-1B
- Registration
- N57HY · registry record · serial 2057
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The tundra tire-equipped airplane was being operated as a local, visual flight rules, public use, game management flight for the purpose of locating moose with data collection collars. According to the airplane's operator, a typical flight would require the pilot and observer to locate a collared moose, and then fly in the immediate vicinity of the moose to enable the equipment aboard the airplane to relay data from the moose's collar to a ground-based data collection site. There was no data transmission in progress at the time of the accident, however fresh moose foot prints were observed within 50 yards of the accident site. An on-site inspection of the airplane disclosed ground scars and crush lines on the airplane consistent with a near-vertical impact. The inspection disclosed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airframe or engine, and a readout of data stored in the engine monitoring system installed on the airplane indicated that the engine had adequate fuel flow and combustion. The observer received head injuries in the accident, and was unable to provide any information about the accident.
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: 10,500 hours in all
- Last flight review: July 30, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 538 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 9, 2002; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAKN King Salmon AK at 2:00 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 23 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; scat at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.61 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from PAII, 35 miles away
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.