Piper PA-31-350 accident near Eek, Alaska, November 17, 2025
On November 17, 2025 at about 5:28 am local time, a 1983 Piper PA-31-350, registered N4112D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Eek, Alaska (Eek airport). It was a business flight under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 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 loss of directional control when the airplane encountered snow and ice on the runway while landing at night in gusting crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 17, 2025 · about 5:28 am local time
- Place
- Eek, Alaska · Eek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350, built 1983 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N4112D · registry record · serial 31-8353004
- 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 after landing, during the landing roll, at night, in gusting crosswinds, the right main landing gear struck ice and a snow drift which caused the airplane to veer right. The pilot attempted to correct with opposite rudder; however, the airplane continued to slide on the ice and impacted a snow berm, which collapsed the nose gear. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the nose and fuselage. 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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Effect on operation
- 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
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Snow/ice › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,986 hours in all; 454 in this make and model; 206 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 1,630 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 36,154 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 8, 2025; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,362 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 2,158 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming LTIO-540-J2BD (piston); 8,740 hours total
- Operator: Yute Air
The flight
- Departed from: PAPM Platinum AK at 4:51 am
- Runway 18/3, 3,242 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 100° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,600 ft; a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 28.84 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from AQH, 29 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR PAQH 170456Z AUTO 10013KT 10SM FEW020 OVC026 02/02 A2884 RMK AO2 UPE0357B17E30RAB04E48 SLP765 P0000 T00220017 FZRANO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Other NTSB records under N4112D 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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ANC26LA005.