Piper PA-32-300 accident near Kongiganak, Alaska, February 24, 1998
On February 24, 1998 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N81844, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kongiganak, Alaska (Kongiganak airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot misjudged distance/altitude and airspeed, and his delay initiating a go-around. Related factors were the downdraft and snowbank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 1998 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kongiganak, Alaska · Kongiganak · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N81844 · registry record · serial 32-8006012
- 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 said that he was landing on a snow and ice covered runway. While on final approach, the airplane descended below the intended glide path and struck a snow berm just short of the runway. He said that as he turned base to final, the far end of the runway was obscured. As he approached the threshold, he felt a sudden drop, and he initiated a go-around, but the airplane settled onto the threshold 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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,950 hours in all; 146 in this make and model; 146 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,416 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, June 6, 1998; 59 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WTL Tuntatuliak AK at 2:45 pm
- Destination: KKH
- Runway 36, 1,900 ft by 35 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 18 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N81844 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.