Piper PA-32 accident near Montague Island, Alaska, April 11, 1982
On April 11, 1982 at about 10:30 am local time, a Piper PA-32, registered N28582, was substantially damaged in an accident near Montague Island, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 1982 · about 10:30 am local time
- Place
- Montague Island, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32 · all PA-32s on the register
- Registration
- N28582 · no longer on the register · serial 327940120
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A TAKEOFF FROM MONTAGUE ISLAND, ALASKA, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH SNOW AND WILLOWS BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF A SMALL STRIP AT MCCLEOD HARBOR. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT JUST AS HE STARTED TO ROTATE THE AIRCRAFT FOR TAKEOFF, THE RIGHT GEAR ENCOUNTERED A SOFT SPOT. AT THAT POINT, HE FELT IT WAS TOO LATE TO ABORT AS THE AIRCRAFT WOULD RUN INTO A DRY RIVER BED. THE PLANE MUSHED INTO THE SNOW AND WILLOWS BEYOND THE RIVER BED.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 7,060 hours in all; 508 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 7,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 800 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Harbor Air Service
The flight
- Departed from: SWD Seward AK at 5:45 am
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.