Piper PA-32-260 accident near Tok, Alaska, February 11, 2023
On February 11, 2023 at about 2:00 am local time, a 1974 Piper PA-32-260, registered N44782, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Tok, Alaska (Tok Junction airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain a proper approach glide path, which resulted in a hard landing, short of his anticipated touchdown point.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 2023 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Tok, Alaska · Tok Junction · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260, built 1974 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N44782 · registry record · serial 32-7500002
- 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 a landing attempt, the airplane descended below glide path and landed short of the runway. The airplane landed hard and sustained substantial damage to the firewall and engine mount. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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 undershoot during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 40.7 in the last 90 days; 32.8 in the last 30 days; 1,140 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 2, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,968.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 9, 2023; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming o-540-E4B5 (piston); 5,577 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 2,509 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 3°F (-16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.46 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PAOR, 35 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAOR 110153Z 00000KT 10SM BKN100 M16/M18 A2946 RMK AO2 SLP043 T11561178
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 6, 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 2 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.