Piper L-21A N8373H

Summary

On 18 August 1995 at about 22:30 local time, a Piper L-21A registered N8373H was involved in an accident near Kaktovik, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 August 1995 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Kaktovik, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

70.1205, -143.6595

Aircraft

Piper L-21A

Registration

N8373H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Ft. Yukon

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC95FA157

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from mountainous terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The accident airplane, one of two airplanes taking part in a hunting trip, landed in a remote and mountainous region. Ten days later, the accident airplane departed the hunting camp on a return flight and headed toward a mountain pass. The second airplane remained at the hunting camp for another 8 days and then departed on a return flight. The accident airplane was reported overdue 16 days after initially landing at the hunting camp. Search personnel did not locate the accident site until the second airplane pilot returned to the area 17 days after the accident airplane departed the hunting camp. The accident site, located in the high Arctic region, was subjected to continuous low ceilings and snow. Search and rescue personnel recovered the pilot from the accident scene but investigators were unable to reach the site until 12 months later. The airplane struck rising terrain at 5,000 feet mean sea level about 700 feet below a mountain pass. The airplane contained a large amount of camping equipment, a bear hide, and a bag containing about 40 sheep skulls and horns. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction with the airplane was found.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.