Piper PA 32R accident near Kwigillingok, Alaska, December 14, 2017
On December 14, 2017 at about 10:23 pm local time, a 1975 Piper PA 32R, registered N8209C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Kwigillingok, Alaska (Kwigillingok airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to land with the sun in his eyes, which resulted in a short landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 14, 2017 · about 10:23 pm local time
- Place
- Kwigillingok, Alaska · Kwigillingok · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 32R 300, built 1975 · all PA 32Rs on the register
- Registration
- N8209C · no longer on the register · serial 32R-7680082
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he landed on runway 15 instead of runway 33 because he did not want to make a 180° turn and taxi back on the runway. He reported that, when he turned to final, the sun was in his eyes and the airplane landed short. During landing, the right main landing gear collided with "deep snow" during the flare, and the airplane veered to the right and collided with a snow berm. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing spar, horizontal stabilizer and the fuselage. The pilot reported that this accident could have been prevented if he had used runway 33 and not had the sun in his eyes during landing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing area undershoot during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Glare › Effect on personnel
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Snow/ice › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Snow/ice › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 21,860 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 185.8 in the last 90 days; 9.6 in the last 30 days; 21,115 as pilot in command; 8,130 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 20, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,128.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 5, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-KIA50 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Paklook Air
The flight
- Departed from: ABE Bethel AK
- Destination: GGV Kwigillingok AK
- Runway 15, 1,835 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 14°F (-10°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.53 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from PAKI, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 14, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.