Piper PA-20 accident near Chitina, Alaska, March 25, 2022
On March 25, 2022 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1951 Piper PA-20, registered N7074K, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Chitina, Alaska. It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s exceedance of the wing’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in a stall and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 2022 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Chitina, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-20, built 1951 · all PA-20s on the register
- Registration
- N7074K · registry record · serial 20-181
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during approach to land on a snow-covered glacier, the airplane was “lower and slower” than his previous approaches to the glacier. He executed a go-around, the wind “shifted”, and the airplane stalled and impacted the terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported no preimpact 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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Other weather encounter during approach (VFR go-around)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 350 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 300 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 20, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,361 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Peavine Bar AK at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 pm from PACV, 119 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PACV 252115Z 09010G19KT 10SM BKN026 BKN034 OVC100 05/01 A2976 RMK AO2 T00500006 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N7074K 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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ANC22LA027.