Piper PA-32-260 accident near Chickaloon, Alaska, August 8, 2010
On August 8, 2010 at about 9:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N3432W, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Chickaloon, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, resulting in an in-flight collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 2010 · about 9:05 pm local time
- Place
- Chickaloon, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N3432W · registry record · serial 32-329
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-instrument-rated pilot stated that he departed the airport in visual flight rules conditions, with various cloud layers throughout the area. As he climbed toward the snowfields at the top of a glacier, the clouds rapidly filled in underneath and built up around the airplane as he attempted to climb above them. He could not maintain sight of the ground and entered instrument meteorological conditions. The airplane had slowed to about 70 knots and he was making a wings-level rudder turn when the airplane impacted the glacier. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane. He reported the wings and fuselage were damaged during the impact.
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
What happened, in order
- VFR encounter with IMC during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of visual reference during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Convective weather › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 793 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 765 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 11, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,614 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 20, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAAQ Palmer AK at 3:30 pm
- Destination: PAAQ Palmer AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,800 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from PAAQ, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 3 |
Other NTSB records under N3432W the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ANC10LA071.