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ANC92LA055

1992-03-29 · KENAI, Alaska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport ENA

Current FAA registration · N82757

Make / Model
PIPER PA-28-161
Year of manufacture
1980 · 12 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19800930
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AB4E03

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

TERRAIN CLEARANCE WAS NOT MAINTAINED. FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: SNOW COVERED HILLY TERRAIN, AND DIVERTED ATTENTION.

Factual narrative

WHILE FLYING OVER THE TERRAIN AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL, THE PILOT THOUGHT THAT THE SNOW COVERED TERRAIN WAS FLAT. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS ASKED THE PILOT HOW FAR IT WAS TO HOMER, AK. AS THE PILOT WAS DIALING IN THE FREQUENCY ON THE LORAN, THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER CALLED OUT THE PILOT'S NAME. THE PILOT PULLED BACK HARD ON THE YOKE AND A 'JOLT' WAS FELT. THE PILOT INCREASED ALTITUDE TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE BEFORE RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT ASKED FOR A LOW FLY BY TO HAVE TOWER PERSONNEL LOOK AT THE LANDING GEAR. THE TOWER PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED. THE PILOT INFORMED THE TOWER THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT RETRACTABLE AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN BELLY LANDED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_ANC92LA055.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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