Piper PA-22 accident near Arctic Village, Alaska, August 28, 1998
On August 28, 1998 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-22, registered N3100Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arctic Village, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delayed action to abort the landing. Factors associated with the accident were a tail wind, and rising terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1998 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Arctic Village, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N3100Z · registry record · serial 22-7037
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing to the west on an off-airport site. He stated that after touchdown he realized he would be unable to stop the airplane before reaching the end of the landing site, and attempted to abort the landing. He said that he applied full takeoff power, and the airplane became airborne, but failed to gain sufficient altitude to clear rising terrain at the end of the site. The airplane collided with a dry creek bed, and sustained substantial damage to the wings, and fuselage. The pilot noted that wind conditions at the time of the accident were estimated to be from the southeast at 5 knots, with peak gusts to 10 knots. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
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: 278 hours in all; 174 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 204 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,306 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1997; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CIK Chalkyitsik AK at 2:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 35 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 N3100Z 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.