Incident Details
On April 10, 2009, at approximately 1045 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300 airplane, registration N43551, operated by JP Air of Bethel, Alaska, as an on-demand cargo flight under Title 14 CFR Part 135, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain following a loss of control while on approach to Nunapitchuk Airport in Nunapitchuk, Alaska. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions were reported in the general area, but the pilot stated that visibility was greatly reduced due to blowing snow. A company flight plan was in effect. The flight departed Bethel at about 1030 en route to Nunapitchuk.
Aircraft and Crew
The aircraft was a Piper PA-32-300, a single-engine general aviation airplane. The pilot, a commercial pilot, reported having approximately 770 pounds of mail on board.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, the flight was uneventful until he began the approach for runway 18 at Nunapitchuk. He stated he had difficulty locating the runway due to reduced visibility from blowing snow. The pilot indicated that he prematurely slowed the airplane in preparation for landing, believing he was closer to the runway than he actually was. As a result of the low altitude and poor visibility, he overshot his turn from left base to final. While attempting to correct and realign the airplane with the runway, the stall warning horn activated, and the airplane stalled. The left wing struck terrain west of the runway. The impact caused the left wing to separate from the fuselage. The airplane then slid down the runway for a few hundred feet before coming to rest off the east side of the runway.
Pilot Statements
The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane. He also noted that he should have initiated a go-around instead of attempting to salvage the landing.