Piper PA-32 accident near Haines, Alaska, September 2, 1996
On September 2, 1996 at about 1:56 am local time, a Piper PA-32, registered N2181Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Haines, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 4 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from terrain, while maneuvering to reverse the direction of flight. Factors associated with the accident were: the pilot's inadequate weather evaluation; and the terrain and weather, which resulted in a whiteout condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 1996 · about 1:56 am local time
- Place
- Haines, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32 · all PA-32s on the register
- Registration
- N2181Z · no longer on the register · serial 32-7940104
- 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 air taxi pilot initiated flight over an extensive field of glaciers. The passengers described a gray, overcast sky, with a snow field below and snow on the surrounding mountains. They estimated the cruise altitude was between 100 and 500 feet above the glacier. The flight encountered a fog bank in the direction of travel; before reaching the fog, the pilot elected to turn around. During the turn, the airplane descended and collided with the glacier. Postaccident inspection disclosed no evidence of any preexisting mechanical anomaly 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 930 hours in all; 239 in this make and model; 291 in the last 90 days; 93 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,740 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 5, 1996; 82 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K165 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GST Gustavus AK at 8:45 pm
- Destination: HNS AK
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 7 knots
- Sky: overcast at 4,500 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:05 pm from PAH, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 | 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.