Piper PA-31 accident near Mekoryuk, Alaska, March 25, 1993
On March 25, 1993 at about 3:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-31, registered N9102Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mekoryuk, Alaska (Mekoryuk airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
PILOT-IN-COMMAND INITIATED VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS. A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE WHITEOUT WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 1993 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Mekoryuk, Alaska · Mekoryuk · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31 · all PA-31s on the register
- Registration
- N9102Y · registry record · serial 31-139
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PILOT-IN-COMMAND EXECUTED VFR STRAIGHT IN APPROACH FOLLOWING THE NDB/DME APPROACH COURSE. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED OVER SNOW COVERED FEATURELESS TERRAIN. VFR FLIGHT NOT RECOMMENDED BY FSS. THE AIRCRAFT FLEW INTO SLOPING TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET BELOW, AND IN THE VICINITY OF, THE FINAL APPROACH FIX. PILOT RECALLED LOSING FORWARD VISIBILITY AND SAID HE WAS NOT REFERENCING THE APPROACH PLATE AT THE TIME OF THE GROUND COLLISION. THE PILOT WAS ADVISED THAT THE AWOS WEATHER OBSERVATION FOR THE DESTINATION CALLED FOR IFR CONDITIONS WITH VFR NOT RECOMMENDED.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: balloon; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 33,362 hours in all; 1,687 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 32,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,576 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 20, 1993; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-G1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Missionary Aviation Repair Ctr
The flight
- Departed from: HPR Hooper Bay AK at 3:05 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 5, 3,010 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:17 pm from MYU, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.