Piper PA-28-140 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, November 27, 2022
On November 27, 2022 at about 11:15 am local time, a 1969 Piper PA-28-140, registered N5626U, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Anchorage, Alaska (Merrill Field Airport). It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 2022 · about 11:15 am local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Merrill Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140, built 1969 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N5626U · registry record · serial 28-26423
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported he was on a solo cross-country flight. The airport runway conditions were reported as good, braking deceleration and directional control was normal. As the airplane crossed over the approach end of the runway, the pilot felt he needed to lose a little more airspeed and held a flare a little longer and landed further down the runway. Upon touchdown the airplane began to slide to the left of centerline. The pilot attempted a go-around maneuver by adding power. The pilot was unable to correct back to centerline, which resulted in a runway excursion. The airplane impacted taxiway signs and lights sustaining substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Landing area overshoot during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Snow/slush/ice covered surface › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 42 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,431.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 12, 2022; 7.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Fly Around Alaska LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PAAQ Palmer AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 28, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 9°F (-13°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.45 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from PAMR
Weather report (METAR): METAR PAMR 271853Z 07004KT 10SM CLR M13/M14 A3045 RMK AO2 SLP312 T11281139 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 30, 2023. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.