Piper PA-28-140 accident near Bethel, Alaska, July 18, 1998
On July 18, 1998 at about 5:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N1793J, was destroyed in an accident near Bethel, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fracture of the flap handle position locking pin, which resulted in an uncommanded raising of the flaps during takeoff. A factor was the pilot's decision to takeoff with a suspected problem in the flap system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1998 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Bethel, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N1793J · no longer on the register · serial 28-24219
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot experienced binding in the flaps during landing. Unable to find a problem, he decided to takeoff on his return flight. During initial climb, the manually operated flaps abruptly retracted. The pilot was unable to hold the flaps in the extended position to climb, and the airplane contacted trees located in the departure path. Investigation revealed that the flap position locking pin, part number 480-715 (59-040-187-1500), had fallen from its hole, but the retaining roll pin was still in place. The only way to remove this pin from the hole is to first remove the retaining pin, or fracture it in two pieces. The missing pin was not recovered, but a photograph shows a similar dimensioned pin lying below the flap handle assembly.
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
- Flight time: 291 hours in all; 212 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 243 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,905 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 29, 1997; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Canyon Creek AK
- Destination: BET AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°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.
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.