No fatalities

14 Dec 2017: PIPER PA 32R 300 — Yute Commuter Service — Kwigillingok, AK

Kwigillingok, AK, United States

On 14 Dec 2017, a PIPER PA 32R 300 operated by Yute Commuter Service was involved in an aviation accident near Kwigillingok, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s decision to land with the sun in his eyes, which resulted in a short landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 17 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot landed on runway 15 to avoid a 180° taxi back, but sun glare caused a short landing. The right main gear hit deep snow, veering the aircraft into a snow berm, resulting in substantial damage.

Landing and Collision

According to the pilot, the airplane landed on runway 15 instead of runway 33. The pilot stated that this decision was made to avoid making a 180° turn and taxiing back on the runway. During the final approach, the sun was in the pilot's eyes, causing the airplane to land short of the intended touchdown point.

During the landing flare, the right main landing gear collided with deep snow. The airplane then veered to the right and subsequently collided with a snow berm.

Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the right-wing spar, the horizontal stabilizer, and the fuselage.

Mechanical Condition

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Pilot's Recommendation

According to the National Transportation Safety Board's Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot indicated in the Owner Safety Recommendation section that the accident could have been prevented by using runway 33 and avoiding having the sun in his eyes during landing.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotEffect on personnel

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcomeEffect on operation