Piper PA-28-181 accident near Haines, Alaska, September 29, 2004
On September 29, 2004 at about 1:45 am local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N3002T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Haines, Alaska. It was a positioning 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 compensation for wind conditions during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a premature liftoff and subsequent uncontrolled descent and collision with the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 29, 2004 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Haines, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N3002T · no longer on the register · serial 28-7990320
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot of the VFR positioning flight reported that during the takeoff roll the airplane rapidly and prematurely became airborne and began to yaw right. It began to descend rapidly, and continued to yaw. The airplane bounced on the runway and became airborne again. The pilot climbed to about 1,200 feet, where he noticed damage to the top of the left wing. He elected to fly the airplane to the destination airport where maintenance and other services were available. About 10 miles from the departure airport, the left main landing gear partially separated from the wing, and remained attached only by the hydraulic brake line. The pilot returned to the departure airport and landed. The pilot said during the takeoff the winds were variable from 070 degrees to 130 degrees at 15-20 knots with gusts from 25-30 knots. There were no known mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident. The FAA airworthiness inspector who examined the airplane said that during the bounced takeoff the left main landing gear attachments were sheered from the wing spar, and that during the subsequent emergency landing the outboard left wing section and aileron were damaged.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 105 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Haines AK
- Destination: PAJN Juneau AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.