Piper PA31 accident near Chignik Lagoon, Alaska, January 21, 2019
On January 21, 2019 at about 10:05 pm local time, a 1977 Piper PA31, registered N995AK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Chignik Lagoon, Alaska (Chignik Lagoon airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s selection of an unsuitable runway for landing, which resulted in a loss of control and runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 21, 2019 · about 10:05 pm local time
- Place
- Chignik Lagoon, Alaska · Chignik Lagoon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA31 350, built 1977 · all PA31s on the register
- Registration
- N995AK · registry record · serial 31-7752089
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that he performed a fly over of the intended landing runway and determined that it was wet and muddy. During the landing roll, the braking action was minimal due to ice on the surface. The pilot determined that the airplane was not going to stop before the end of the runway, so he applied differential engine power to spin the airplane around; however, the airplane slid off the runway and impacted a snow berm resulting in the collapse of the left landing gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,259 hours in all; 376 in this make and model; 166 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 2,063 as pilot in command; 1,192 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 6, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 18,237 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 7, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 7,368 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming LTIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Lake Clark Air Inc
The flight
- Departed from: PAJC Chignik AK at 9:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 2,200 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 2937.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from PAJC, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 ANC19CA010.