# Accident 19970824023329A: Piper PA32300, Bethel, AK, August 24, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 24, 1997, 14:32 local time
- Place: Bethel, AK
- Airport: Bethel
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: KUSA
- Location: 60.8107° N, 161.8502° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.8107&lon=-161.8502&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4170R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4170R-1999-05-05) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-300 (registry code 7103212, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32300
- Reported engine: LYC IO540K1A5
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 13,000 total, 7,600 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC97LA129](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC97LA129) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970824023329A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LOST POWER ON CLIMBOUT. TRIED RETURN BUT LANDED SHORT. HAD DEPARTED FUEL SECTOR ON EMPTY TIP TANK. MAINS FULL.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ANC97LA129](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC97LA129), Aug 24, 1997: Piper PA-32-300 (N4170R), Bethel, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's improper selection of a fuel tank that did not contain fuel, which resulted in subsequent fuel starvation and loss of engine power. A factor relating to the accident was: the inability to…

## Other reports on N4170R (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19960803021049A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960803021049A), Aug 3, 1996: Piper PA32300 (N4170R), Tuntutuliak, AK. Struck a cargo handler while taxiing from ramp. Was looking left in left turn. Failed to look both ways.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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