On August 4, 2019, about 1627 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA22-150 was destroyed by impact and a postcrash fire when it collided with terrain about five miles north of Girdwood Airport (AQY) in Alaska. The airline transport pilot (ATP) and three passengers were killed in the crash.
A friend of the airplane owner reported that he and the owner had been conversing via text message on the day of the accident. The owner, who held a student pilot certificate, indicated that he and the pilot had been drinking alcoholic beverages, but stated that he would not be flying the airplane and would be a passenger on the flight.
The purpose of the flight was to take the passengers on a short 15- to 20-minute sightseeing flight of the Girdwood area, which consists of remote, steep, mountainous terrain, ranging from sea level to about 7,000 feet, which is part of the Chugach Mountain Range.
Multiple witnesses observed the Piper PA22-150 flying parallel to a mountain ridge before it entered a turn to the north and began a descent. The airplane disappeared from view and then they saw a plume of black smoke.
One witness saw the airplane performing aggressive maneuvers earlier in the flight, and observed the airplane approach a mountain ridge, its nose pitched up and the airplane entered a steep climb before disappearing from view.
The closest official weather observation station to the accident site was Portage Glacier, in Whittier, Alaska, located about 22 miles southeast. The 1653 observation included wind from 080° at 7 knots, gusting to 15 knots; 10 statute miles visibility; overcast clouds at 6,000 feet above ground level; temperature 70°F; dew point 57°F; and an altimeter setting of 30.14 inches of mercury.
The remote accident site was located on the south face of Goat Mountain in steep, mountainous terrain. The airplane hit the terrain about 15 feet below the top of a rock-faced ridgeline at an altitude of about 5,512 feet mean sea level (msl) and came to rest inverted on a narrow rock shelf at an altitude of about 5,437 feet msl. The wreckage was largely consumed by postcrash fire, with some small fragments of wreckage located on the opposite side of the ridge.
The airplane was not recovered and could not be examined. Review of photographs provided by the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group and the Alaska State Troopers revealed that the left and right wings and their respective control surfaces were destroyed by fire, with only portions of the wing spars remaining. The cockpit, fuselage, and empennage exhibited extensive thermal damage and control continuity could not be verified.
The engine exhibited extensive impact and thermal damage. The propeller separated from the engine crankshaft. One propeller blade exhibited torsional “S” twisting and aft bending about 12 inches from the tip. The other propeller blade exhibited significant torsional “S” twisting and buckling on the trailing edge of the blade.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain due to his impairment from alcohol consumption.
This August 2019 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Another dumb*** taking the lives of innocent people. What an unnecessary shame.
Drunk is a lot off assumption over very sketchy and inadequate information. Wonder how people in Leadville, CO or Tibet that smoke and drink can work. Guess the same way I did, wasn’t a problem.
I think the not much of an aircraft carrying four passengers in gusting winds was hit by a sudden large gust pushing it into terrain.
And it does seem lately that more and more GA accidents involve ATPs.
If you live for weeks or longer at 10,000 feet healthy people acclimate. They have more red blood cells.
That is why Sherpa porters climb Mount Everest. An Everest expedition took months because the climbers walked up. Today the helicopter half way.
The mountain wave and winds catch pilot’s who maybe impaired by hypoxia.
A few drinks might not matter much at sea level. A few cigarettes might not matter at sea level
BUT smokers and drinkers will be critically hypoxic at 4 to 5000 feet.
Yo u can feel fine on the ground and be severely hypoxic at 5000 feet. Your blood and brain will be at 15000 feet.
24 hours bottle to throttle is a great idea. Smoking is always bad.