Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-24-250 near Big Lake, AK — 2014-08-10

Final reportANC14FA062
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Date
2014-08-10
Location
Big Lake, AK, USA
Airport
PAGQ
Aircraft
PIPER PA-24-250
Registration
N5158P
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot's impairment due to alcohol consumption, which resulted in his failure to maintain clearance from trees.

NTSB narrative

The passenger reported that, before departing for the short personal flight to the private pilot's residence, she and the pilot went to dinner and then a local bar. They then departed, and she remembered hitting something like a "bump" while the airplane was on approach to the destination airport, but she could not recall anything else about the accident sequence due to her injuries. Dark night conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The passenger reported no mechanical problems with the airplane, and the pilot did not mention any mechanical problems during the flight. The airplane wreckage was found alongside a road adjacent to the destination airport. An area believed to be the initial impact site had two broken 40-ft-high treetops located about 50 ft south of the extended runway centerline and 830 ft from the runway threshold. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Toxicological testing detected levels of ethanol in the pilot's blood equivalent to a 0.192 percent blood alcohol concentration, which is 4.5 times greater than the regulatory limit for pilots. Slightly higher alcohol levels were detected in the pilot's vitreous samples, which is consistent with his recent ingestion of sufficient alcohol to cause impairment. Therefore, the pilot's impairment led to his inability to safety operate the airplane, and he failed to maintain clearance from trees during the approach to the airport.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have chosen not to fly after drinking at the bar.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 7 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents7

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