History of Flight
On September 9, 2013, at an undetermined time, a Piper PA-32-260 airplane, registration N3705W, operated by a private individual, went missing and was presumed to have crashed between Yakutat, Alaska and Anchorage, Alaska. The airline transport pilot was presumed to have received fatal injuries and the airplane was presumed destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure airport, Yakutat Airport (YAK). A visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed for the planned flight to Merrill Field (MRI), Anchorage. The personal flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight departed YAK about 1530 Alaska daylight time.
The pilot had recently purchased the airplane and was ferrying it from Georgia to Alaska. After landing uneventfully in YAK and purchasing fuel, he departed on the accident flight. Radar data showed targets with transponder code 1200, extending northwest between the coast of the Gulf of Alaska and the Malaspina Glacier. The first target was recorded at 1543:29 at 1,100 feet msl; the last at 1548:13, also at 1,100 feet msl.
Pilot Information
The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with multiengine land rating, a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land rating, and was a certificated flight engineer and mechanic. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued July 25, 2013, reporting 9,747 total flight hours. The previous aircraft owner described the pilot as very experienced and noted he had accrued about 25 hours in the airplane before departing, flying it "well." The pilot's logbook was not recovered.
Aircraft Information
The previous owner provided copies of logbook entries for the most recent annual inspection, completed September 13, 2012, at which time the airplane had 4,520.7 total hours and the engine 1,394.73 hours since major overhaul. The airplane was IFR equipped with a GPS moving map slaved to a VOR needle. The airplane logbooks were not recovered.
Meteorological Information
Before departing to YAK, the pilot obtained an in-person weather briefing at the Juneau Flight Service Station (FSS). After refueling at YAK, he radioed Juneau FSS at 1529 to update his VFR flight plan, reporting destination MRI and that he had just departed YAK. The briefer advised of an advisory for IFR conditions west of the Kenai Peninsula with mountain obscuration. The pilot requested current conditions at CDV, VDZ, and MRI. CDV reported visibility 5 miles in light rain and mist, scattered clouds at 3,300 feet, broken at 4,200, overcast at 5,000. VDZ reported visibility 1 mile, scattered at 100 feet, broken at 500, overcast at 2,000. MRI reported unrestricted visibility, scattered at 7,000, broken at 10,000. Conditions at Whittier included visibility 5 miles in rain, overcast at 2,000. At Portage Pass, visibility was 1.75 miles in heavy rain, few at 2,100, broken at 2,400, overcast at 5,500. The briefer stated the pass was definitely closed and VFR flight not recommended. The pilot acknowledged and indicated he would stop at CDV if necessary. Recorded weather at YAK at 1553: wind 100° at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles, few at 1,700, broken at 5,000, overcast at 6,000.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The presumed crash site is near the Malaspina Glacier, with mountainous terrain to the east and the Gulf of Alaska to the west.
Search and Rescue
An alert notice was issued by flight service at 2107 for the overdue airplane. A week-long search was initiated in an area centered 40 miles northwest of YAK based on limited radar data. Search efforts involved Civil Air Patrol, Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Air National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard, and volunteers. Operations were hampered by poor weather; no emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was received. The airplane was equipped with an older 121.5 MHz ELT, which ceased being monitored by search and rescue satellites after February 1, 2009. Installation of 406 MHz ELTs was voluntary. No medical or pathological information was available as the sole occupant had not been recovered.