Piper PA-31-350 accident near Chevak, Alaska, April 11, 1999
On April 11, 1999 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N59985, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chevak, Alaska (Chevak airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision, and his failure to attain the proper touchdown point on the runway. Factors in the accident were a tail wind condition, and the presence of snow and ice on the runway surface.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 1999 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Chevak, Alaska · Chevak · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N59985 · no longer on the register · serial 31-7552077
- 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 certificated airline transport pilot was landing at a remote airport with a load of cargo and mail. The runway was covered by packed snow and ice. The pilot elected to land with a 20 knot quartering tail wind to avoid having to turn around on the runway in an area of snow and ice. The ramp area of the airport was located at the departure end of runway. After touchdown, the runway surface and the end of the runway, became obscured by blowing snow which restricted the visibility to 400 to 500 feet. The pilot said he applied the brakes, but the airplane began skidding on the ice, and went off the departure end of the runway. The right main landing gear was sheared off. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground. The left wing was wrinkled, and fuel was seeping from the left wing fuel tank.
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: 2,120 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 257 in the last 90 days; 105 in the last 30 days; 2,071 as pilot in command; 1,305 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,389 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 6, 1999; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,368 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BET Bethel AK at 5:59 pm
- Destination: VAK
- Runway 14, 2,610 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 315° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N59985 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.