Piper PA-32R-301 accident near Barrow, Alaska, December 12, 1983
On December 12, 1983 at about 3:49 pm local time, a Piper PA-32R-301, registered N3575A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Barrow, Alaska (Wiley Post Memorial airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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).
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
- December 12, 1983 · about 3:49 pm local time
- Place
- Barrow, Alaska · Wiley Post Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-301 · all PA-32R-301s on the register
- Registration
- N3575A · registry record · serial 32R-8013034
- 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 STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER REACHING CRUISE ALTITUDE THE ENG FAILED. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE ON TUNDRA COVERED BY ENCRUSTED SNOW & ICE NAD THE GEAR COLLAPSED. DURING THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION THE FUEL INJECTOR WAS FOUND TO ALLOW ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL FLOW. HOWEVER, THE UNIT WAS LATER BENCH TESTED & WAS OPERATING NORMALLY.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,265 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 87 in the last 90 days; 995 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,277 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1983; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BRW Barrow AK at 3:48 pm
- Destination: 5WW Wainwright AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0, 6,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 040° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 7°F (-14°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from BRW, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 N3575A 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.