Piper PA-32-300 accident near Old Harbor, Alaska, July 2, 2023
On July 2, 2023 at about 11:10 pm local time, a 1977 Piper PA-32-300, registered N1132Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Old Harbor, Alaska. It was a business flight under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people were killed and 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from rising terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s delayed decision to turn away from the terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 2023 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Old Harbor, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed and 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300, built 1977 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N1132Q · registry record · serial 32-7740046
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed with four passengers and cargo on the air taxi flight up a valley toward an area of rising terrain. The pilot reported that, during the six-minute flight, the airplane's rate of climb was 500 feet per minute and the engine power setting was 2,500 rpm with 25 inches of manifold pressure. Upon realizing that the airplane would not clear the terrain ahead, the pilot maneuvered the airplane to the right side of the confined valley in order to make a 180° left turn; however, the airplane subsequently stopped climbing and impacted terrain. The departure airport elevation was 55 ft mean sea level (msl) and the elevation of the accident site was 750 ft msl. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation; the pilot reported there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The pilot reported that the airplane’s gross weight at takeoff was about 50 lbs under its maximum gross weight and the investigation independently estimated that it was about 110 pounds below the maximum gross takeoff weight. A pilot in another airplane loaded similarly to the accident airplane departed about two minutes before the accident airplane on the same route of flight and reported that the weather was “great” and that he had no performance issues climbing through the mountain pass. Based on the available information, the pilot failed to maintain clearance from rising terrain. It is likely that his delayed decision to turn away from the rising terrain when he realized that the airplane’s climb performance was insufficient contributed to the impact with terrain.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Understanding/comprehension › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Climb capability › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,830.5 hours in all; 1,070.8 in this make and model; 62.4 in the last 90 days; 28.2 in the last 30 days; 2,705.9 as pilot in command; 850.4 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 26, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,017.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 31, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SER (piston); 8,012 hours total
- Operator: Vertigo Air Taxi
The flight
- Departed from: 6R7 Old Harbor AK at 11:04 pm
- Destination: ADQ Kodiak AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,400 ft; scat at 300 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 3:21 pm from PADQ, 38 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PADQ 022321Z 08008KT 8SM SCT003 BKN014 BKN021 11/10 A2995 RMK AO2 T01060100
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on April 2, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness and Pilot Statements | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Transcript of Interview | PDF, 26 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Examination | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Airplane Weight and Balance | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Documentation & Source of Weights | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 ANC23FA045.