Piper PA-31 accident near Kotlik, Alaska, October 1, 2025
On October 1, 2025 at about 3:42 am local time, a 1969 Piper PA-31, registered N16SC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Kotlik, Alaska (Kotlik Airport). It was a business flight under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 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 extend the landing gear before landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 2025 · about 3:42 am local time · cases in 2025
- Place
- Kotlik, Alaska · Kotlik Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31, built 1969 · all PA-31s on the register
- Registration
- N16SC · registry record · serial 31-639
- 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 reported that while on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern he became distracted by a rain squall which resulted in his failure to extend the landing gear, and the airplane subsequently landed gear-up. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage during the gear-up landing. 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 gear not configured during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Flight crew
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Flight crew
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear selector › Not used/operated other cases naming the landing gear
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Workload management › Task overload › Flight crew
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,034 hours in all; 261 in this make and model; 337 in the last 90 days; 114 in the last 30 days; 2,888 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 13, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,750.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 21, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIO-540-A2C (piston); 2,897 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming TIO540-A2C (piston); 6,297 hours total
- Operator: Paklook Air
The flight
- Departed from: Z09 Kasigluk AK at 3:00 am
- Runway 20, 4,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.68 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from PFKO
Weather report (METAR): PFKO 301856Z AUTO 13013KT 10SM CLR 01/M06 A2968 RMK AO2 SLP049 T00061061 FZRANO $,M
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Image of accident airplane
Photograph 2 – Image of accident airplane
Photograph 3 – Image of underside of accident airplaneThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 22, 2026. 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 | Photos | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N16SC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N16SC on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-31 Navajo and Chieftain 934 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,840 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-A2C 6 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Lycoming TIO540-A2C 6 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Kotlik Airport · nearest airport
- Kasigluk Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 825 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,142 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N16SC 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC25LA117.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.