Piper PA31 N9FW

Summary

On 5 August 2024 at about 19:58 local time, a Piper PA31 registered N9FW, operated by Warbelows Air Ventures, was involved in an accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. 5 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 August 2024 at 19:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Fairbanks International Airpor (PAFA)

Coordinates

64.8178, -147.8430

Aircraft

Piper PA31

Registration

N9FW

Category

Airplane

Year built

1974

Engines

2

Operator

Warbelows Air Ventures

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Coldfoot → Fairbanks

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ANC24LA074

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's continuation of an unstabilized approach and his failure to monitor the aircraft's altitude and airspeed during the approach, resulting in a loss of control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, after entering the traffic pattern before landing, the local tower controller asked him if he could accept a short approach to the arriving runway to accommodate other arriving traffic, and the pilot accepted. As the pilot maneuvered the airplane from the base leg to final approach, he allowed the airplane to descend below the intended glidepath, and he inadvertently allowed the airplanes airspeed to decay. As the airplane passed over the runway threshold, it rolled to the left, and the left wing struck the runway. The pilot momentarily aborted the landing but landed the airplane on a gravel covered airstrip, which was straight ahead and a short distance away. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.