39.2613° N, 81.5434° WPlaced by OpenAirDocs: center of Parkersburg, WV, within about 6 miles.Open in the map
Date
May 18, 1978 · 18:45 local
Place
Parkersburg, WV
Airport
Municipal
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N6639L
Reported as
Piper PA31
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,980 total180 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Engine shut down on short final due to smoke. Turbo seal had failed.
As the FAA filed it
ENGINE SHUT DOWN ON SHORT FINAL DUE TO SMOKE. TURBO SEAL HAD FAILED.