Piper PA-31 Cheyenne crash, Feb 21, 2000, Kotzebue-Ralph...
Piper PA-31 Cheyenne accident on February 21, 2000 near Kotzebue-Ralph Wien Memorial, Alaska, United States with no fatalities. Cause: The pilot...
- Date: February 21, 2000
- Aircraft: Piper PA-31 Cheyenne
- Location: Kotzebue-Ralph Wien Memorial, Alaska, United States
- Fatalities: 0
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: The pilot descended below minimum descent altitude, with task overload during the instrument approach and failure to level off as contributing factors.
A Cape Smythe Air Service Piper Cheyenne on a scheduled flight from Point Lay to Kotzebue was flown by a single pilot on a GPS approach in snow and fog. He descended steeply, overshot the final approach course, and then looked up from tuning radios to find sea ice approaching too fast. The aircraft struck the ice about three miles short of the airport; the pilot was unhurt.