Piper PA-32-300 accident near Naknek, Alaska, February 26, 1998
On February 26, 1998 at about 12:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N38186, was substantially damaged in an accident near Naknek, Alaska (Naknek 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate visual lookout. Factors in the accident were flat lighting conditions, and inadequate airport facilities.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 1998 · about 12:40 pm local time
- Place
- Naknek, Alaska · Naknek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N38186 · no longer on the register · serial 32-7740077
- 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 had landed on the east/west runway at the rural airport, and was back-taxiing to a ramp/roadway area. The ramp area is 'L' shaped, and located between the approach end of the east/west runway, and the approach end of a second, northwest/southeast runway. The pilot was planning to stop the airplane near a waiting school bus that was parked in the ramp area. Movement through the area is not controlled. A second airplane was waiting in the same ramp area to taxi to a fuel pump. Its engine was running at idle power. The pilot of the second airplane reported he planned to wait until the accident airplane was clear of the runway before proceeding, and did not intend to fly. The pilot of the accident airplane taxied into the ramp area, but did not see the second airplane. The pilot of the accident airplane reported that flat light conditions made it difficult to see the second airplane that was painted white and blue. The left wing of the accident airplane collided with the turning propeller of the second airplane. The Alaska Airport/Facility Directory contains remarks about the airport that include the airport is unattended. It says, in part: 'The runway condition is not monitored. Uncontrolled vehicular traffic on runways. No line of sight between runways or waterways. Aircraft on east side of runway 14/32 may be in safety area.'
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,980 hours in all; 3,500 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,228 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 29, 1998; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-KIG5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WSN South Naknek AK at 12:37 pm
- Destination: 5NK
- Runway 26, 1,950 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,700 ft; scat at 700 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 pm from AKN, 12 miles away
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.
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.