Piper PA-28-161 accident near Whittier, Alaska, June 28, 1991
On June 28, 1991 at about 6:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N4362V, was destroyed in an accident near Whittier, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER FLYING SPEED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 1991 · about 6:10 pm local time · cases in 1991
- Place
- Whittier, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N4362V · no longer on the register · serial 28-8416096
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT DEPARTED MERRILL FIELD FOR A SIGHTSEEING TRIP. THE FLIGHT WAS NEAR SURPRISE GLACIER AND MANEUVERING AT 2,400 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL, BUT VERY CLOSE TO THE TERRAIN. THE PILOT STATED THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND HE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT ROOM IN WHICH TO RECOVER. THE AIRPLANE LANDED ACROSS THE FACE OF THE MOUNTAIN, BELOW THE GLACIER, SLID TO A STOP, AND THEN CAUGHT FIRE. THE PILOT STATED THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH THE AIRPLANE.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 341 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 283 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,307 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 27, 1991; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,440 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Ulmer INC.
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 12:00 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
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 N4362V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N4362V: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Piper PA-28 Cherokee, Warrior, Archer and Arrow 18,623 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,842 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G 133 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Merrill Field · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 825 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,142 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N4362V 2 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC91LA081.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.