Piper PA-22 accident near Skwentna, Alaska, February 1, 1997
On February 1, 1997 at about 6:27 pm local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N7235D, was destroyed in an accident near Skwentna, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and subsequent failure to maintain control of the airplane. Factors associated with the accident are the pilot's inadequate weather evaluation, his becoming lost/disoriented, and spatial disorientation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 1997 · about 6:27 pm local time
- Place
- Skwentna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N7235D · no longer on the register · serial 22-5061
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The noninstrument-rated private pilot and two passengers were on a cross country flight on top of an overcast at 10,000 feet msl when the pilot radioed FAA air traffic controllers for assistance. The pilot told controllers he thought he was a few miles from Anchorage, Alaska, his intended destination, but he was actually about 124 miles northwest of Anchorage. The pilot was asked if he could turn towards and cross a nearby mountain range to reach VFR conditions. He indicated he did not have enough fuel left, and that he was presently flying through the tops of the overcast. During his communications with the controllers, the pilot noted a marked disparity between his wet compass and his gyro driven heading indicator; he also said his only electronic navigation instrument aboard, a loran, was not reliable. Radio contact was lost with the pilot, and soon thereafter, an ELT was heard. The airplane was discovered crashed in a near vertical position on a glacier. Postaccident inspection disclosed no mechanical anomalies with the airplane and a functional loran. About five to six gallons of fuel was remaining in the left wing fuel tank.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 100 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 80 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,780 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 24, 1996; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Port Alsworth AK at 4:00 pm
- Destination: MRI Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.