Piper PA-31-350 accident near Dutch Harbor, Alaska, February 16, 2013
On February 16, 2013 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N15PR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Dutch Harbor, Alaska (Unalaska airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to land in wind conditions that exceeded the airplane's demonstrated crosswind capability, which resulted in a loss of airplane control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 2013 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Dutch Harbor, Alaska · Unalaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N15PR · no longer on the register · serial 31-8352011
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot departed on a visual flight rules cross-country flight in a twin-engine airplane with two passengers aboard. He reported that during the flight the weather began changing and he arrived at the destination airport in unforecast deteriorating weather conditions. Unable to circle to land into the wind, the pilot elected to land on runway 12 with a gusting quartering right tailwind. During the landing roll, a wind gust pushed the nose of the airplane to the right, and the airplane began to slide momentarily on an icy patch on the runway. While sliding sideways, the left main landing gear contacted bare pavement, which resulted in the collapse of the left main landing gear. As a result, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The wind at the airport before landing was reported to be out of 339 degrees at 26 knots, with gusts to 35 knots. According to the pilot operating handbook for the accident airplane, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for the airplane is 20 knots, and a plot of the current wind conditions at the time of the accident showed that the crosswind component for the accident landing was 30 knots, 10 knots above the maximum demonstrated component. No preaccident mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation were reported.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Maximum crosswind component › Capability exceeded
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Snow/slush/ice covered › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,007 hours in all; 489 in this make and model; 139 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 5,843 as pilot in command; 667 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 24, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,247 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 8, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 7,368 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming TI0-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Grant Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: PAUT Akutan AK at 8:50 pm
- Destination: PADU Dutch Harbor AK
- Runway 12, 3,900 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 339° at 26 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft; scat at 600 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.54 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.