Piper PA-32-301 accident near Nondalton, Alaska, January 17, 1983
On January 17, 1983 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-301, registered N8429N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nondalton, Alaska (Nondalton airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 6 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
- January 17, 1983 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Nondalton, Alaska · Nondalton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-301 · all PA-32-301s on the register
- Registration
- N8429N · registry record · serial 32-8106089
- 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
THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING A LANDING ON AN ICE & SNOW COVERED RWY, THE BRAKING WAS POOR & HE WAS USING PUMPING ACTIONS WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES. REPORTEDLY, WHEN THE ACFT WAS ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN THE RWY, THE LEFT BRAKE LOST ALL PRESSURE. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE PLT OF ANOTHER ACFT TAXIED OUT ONTO THE RWY. THE PLT OF THE LANDING ACFT STATED THAT HE THEN STEERED HIS ACFT INTO 1 FT DEEP SNOW FOR BETTER DECELERATION; HOWEVER, THERE WAS A DIRT HUMP UNDER THE SNOW. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR HIT THE OBSTRUCTION & WAS DAMAGED. REPORTEDLY, THERE WAS ALSO MINOR DAMAGE TO THE WING TIPS & TAIL SKID AREA. THE PLT STATED THAT DURING AN EXAM OF THE LEFT BRAKE, THE LOWER BRAKE PAD WAS MISSING & THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT HYDRAULIC FLUID HAD VENTED OVERBOARD.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,606 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 10,426 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,320 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 2:15 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 2, 2,900 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N8429N the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.