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19970412005719A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-300 · Quinhagak, AK · April 12, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 12, 1997 · 15:40 local
Place
Quinhagak, AK
Airport
Quinhagak Airport
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
KUSA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9000N
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC97LA055
Reported as
Piper PA32300
Reported engine
Lycoming IO540K1A5
People aboard
6
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
16,000 total7,500 in this make and model146 in the last 90 days
N9000NRegistration cancelled Feb 26, 1999 · Piper PA-32-300S/N 32-40883Airframe modelPiper PA-32-300

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.

Air taxi experienced engine fire on takeoff, crashed. (From .4) the air taxi pilot/company owner was taking off from his base of operations airport in rural Alaska with a new hire pilot and four passengers. About one mile from the airport, the pilot and passengers saw and smelled smoke. The pilot immediately returned and landed. At the pilot's request, the new hire pilot exited the airplane, checked the engine oil dipstick for security, and then reentered the cockpit. The pilot made another takeoff. Shortly after takeoff, smoke began to fill the cockpit, and flame was visible coming from the engine cowling. An emergency landing was made just off the airport on a small island. The occupants of the airplane extinguished the fire with water and a small fire extinguisher. Postaccident inspection disclosed a loose exhaust manifold and fire damage in the vicinity of the exposed exhaust ports. Nuts which affix the exhaust manifold to the engine were found in the bottom of the cowling. The airplane had maintenance performed about one month previously which necessitated the removal of the left manifold.

As the FAA filed it

AIR TAXI EXPERIENCED ENGINE FIRE ON TAKEOFF, CRASHED. (FROM .4) THE AIR TAXI PILOT/COMPANY OWNER WAS TAKING OFF FROM HIS BASE OF OPERATIONS AIRPORT IN RURAL ALASKA WITH A NEW HIRE PILOT AND FOUR PASSENGERS. ABOUT ONE MILE FROM THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS SAW AND SMELLED SMOKE. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY RETURNED AND LANDED. AT THE PILOT'S REQUEST, THE NEW HIRE PILOT EXITED THE AIRPLANE, CHECKED THE ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK FOR SECURITY, AND THEN REENTERED THE COCKPIT. THE PILOT MADE ANOTHER TAKEOFF. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, SMOKE BEGAN TO FILL THE COCKPIT, AND FLAME WAS VISIBLE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COWLING. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE JUST OFF THE AIRPORT ON A SMALL ISLAND. THE OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRPLANE EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH WATER AND A SMALL FIRE EXTINGUISHER. POSTACCIDENT INSPECTION DISCLOSED A LOOSE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND FIRE DAMAGE IN THE VICINITY OF THE EXPOSED EXHAUST PORTS. NUTS WHICH AFFIX THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO THE ENGINE WERE FOUND IN THE BOTTOM OF THE COWLING. THE AIRPLANE HAD MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ABOUT ONE MONTH PREVIOUSLY WHICH NECESSITATED THE REMOVAL OF THE LEFT MANIFOLD.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC97LA055Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportQuinhagak, AKA disconnected exhaust manifold collector, improper maintenance of the airplane by company maintenance personnel, and the pilot's poor judgement in electing to initiate another flight after observing smoke in the cockpit.Apr 12, 1997 · Substantial damage