Piper PA-32-260 N3432W

Summary

On 8 August 2010 at about 21:05 local time, a Piper PA-32-260 registered N3432W, operated by Donald Erbey, was involved in an accident near Chickaloon, Alaska, United States. 5 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 August 2010 at 21:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Chickaloon, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.3733, -147.8364

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-260

Registration

N3432W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Donald Erbey

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palmer → Palmer

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC10LA071

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, resulting in an in-flight collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-instrument-rated pilot stated that he departed the airport in visual flight rules conditions, with various cloud layers throughout the area. As he climbed toward the snowfields at the top of a glacier, the clouds rapidly filled in underneath and built up around the airplane as he attempted to climb above them. He could not maintain sight of the ground and entered instrument meteorological conditions. The airplane had slowed to about 70 knots and he was making a wings-level rudder turn when the airplane impacted the glacier. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane. He reported the wings and fuselage were damaged during the impact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.