Piper PA-31-T3 accident near Stebbins, Alaska, April 7, 1997
On April 7, 1997 at about 11:06 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-T3, registered N218CS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stebbins, Alaska (Stebbins airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to continue VFR into IMC. Factors associated with the accident are fog/obscuration, and the pilot's failure to initiate a go-around earlier in the approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 1997 · about 11:06 pm local time
- Place
- Stebbins, Alaska · Stebbins · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-T3 · all PA-31-T3s on the register
- Registration
- N218CS · registry record · serial 31T-8275016
- 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 pilot was landing at a remote village site. Reported weather was approximately 3/8 of a mile at the time of the accident. The pilot estimated the in-flight visibility as 1.5 miles, and said although much of the runway was shrouded in fog and mist, he could see the approach end of runway 05. While on a base leg to runway 05, he said he was in too close to the runway, and elected to do a tight 'S' turn to gain additional spacing. As he turned to final, he reduced engine power to idle. He subsequently realized he was too low and too slow, heard the stall warning horn, and quickly added full power. The airplane rolled to the right, and struck the runway with the right wing.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,630 hours in all; 2,495 in this make and model; 241 in the last 90 days; 98 in the last 30 days; 9,900 as pilot in command; 1,398 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,160 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 12, 1997; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-11 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OME Nome AK at 5:19 pm
- Destination: WBB
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 5, 3,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 0.5 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ANC97LA048.