Piper PA-32-260 N3705W

Summary

On 9 September 2013, a Piper PA-32-260 registered N3705W was involved in an accident near Yakutat, 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

9 September 2013

Classification

Accident

Location

Yakutat, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

59.5033, -139.6603

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-260

Registration

N3705W

Category

Airplane

Year built

1966

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Yakutat → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC13FAMS2

1 person died.

Undetermined because the pilot and airplane were not found.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot obtained a weather briefing and departed on a day visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight. Although visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure airport, the current and forecast conditions were marginal VFR and instrument flight rules along the flight route. Flight service issued an alert notice when the airplane was overdue for arrival, and an extensive search was conducted. Radar coverage was limited; however, several radar targets were consistent with the accident airplane's route. The first and last targets were recorded about 13 and 18 minutes, respectively, after departure and indicated that the airplane was at an altitude of 1,100 ft mean sea level and located in an area between coastline and mountainous terrain. However, the airplane and pilot were not found. The airplane was not equipped with, nor was it required to be equipped with, a digital 406-MHz emergency locator transmitter; such a transmitter may have aided search and rescue efforts.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.