At about 15:10 Alaska time, a Piper PA-31T3 crashed shortly after a rejected landing at Nuiqsut Airport. The pilot and four passengers were killed and five passengers received serious injuries. Witnesses said the airplane touched down on runway 22 with the landing gear retracted. The fuselage-mounted belly cargo pod lightly scraped the runway for about 40 feet, but the airplane transitioned to a climb. As the airplane began climbing away from the runway, the landing gear was observed to extend. The airplane climbed to about 100 to 150 feet above the ground and began a descending left turn until it crashed about 300 yards south of the airport.
Sept. 18, Nuiqsut, Alaska / Piper Chieftain
At about 15:10 Alaska time, a Piper PA-31T3 crashed shortly after a rejected landing at Nuiqsut Airport. The pilot and four passengers were killed and five passengers received serious injuries. Witnesses said the airplane touched down on runway 22 with the landing gear retracted. The fuselage-mounted belly cargo pod lightly scraped the runway for about 40 feet, but the airplane transitioned to a climb. As the airplane began climbing away from the runway, the landing gear was observed to extend. The airplane climbed to about 100 to 150 feet above the ground and began a descending left turn until it crashed about 300 yards south of the airport....
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper PA-31T3 crashed shortly after a rejected landing at Nuiqsut Airport, killing the pilot and four passengers and seriously injuring five others.
- Witnesses reported the aircraft initially touched down with its landing gear retracted, scraping its belly cargo pod before transitioning to a climb.
- As the plane climbed to 100-150 feet, the landing gear extended, but the aircraft then entered a descending left turn and crashed near the airport.
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