Piper PA-20 accident near Chitina, Alaska, July 23, 1989
On July 23, 1989 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-20, registered N7400K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chitina, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF AN UNSUITABLE LANDING AREA AND DELAY IN SLOWING THE AIRPLANE AFTER LANDING. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ROUGH/UNEVEN TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 1989 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Chitina, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-20 · all PA-20s on the register
- Registration
- N7400K · registry record · serial 20-308
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
NEAR THE END OF THE LANDING ROLL DURING AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING, THE AIRPLANE'S MAIN WHEELS WENT INTO A SHALLOW DEPRESSION THAT CROSSED THE LANDING AREA, CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO NOSE OVER ONTO ITS BACK. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE APPLIED BRAKES EARLIER DURING THE LANDING ROLL.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 487 hours in all; 181 in this make and model; 97 in the last 90 days; 59 in the last 30 days; 406 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,917 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 20, 1989; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GKN Gulkana AK at 5:52 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 ANC89LA128.