# Accident 19980907022749A: Piper PA31350, Homer, AK, September 7, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 7, 1998, 15:13 local time - Place: Homer, AK - Airport: Homer Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 59.4008° N, 151.3192° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=59.4008&lon=-151.3192&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4072A, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4072A-2000-03-30) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA31350 - Reported engine: LYC LTIO540J2BD - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 9,070 total, 2,000 in this make and model, 209 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC98LA143](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98LA143) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980907022749A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT CRASHE ON TAKEOFF AND WAS DESTORYED. (.19)ON SEPTEMBER 7, 1998, AT 1513 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-31-350 AIRPLANE, N4072A, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED DITCHING IN KACHEMAK BAY, FIVE MILES EAST OF HOMER, ALASKA, AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 03 AT THE HOMER AIRPORT. THE SOLO PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AS A BUSINESS FLIGHT TO ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT TRANSMITTED TO THE HOMER FAA FLIGHT SERVICE STATION THAT ONE ENGINE HAD FAILED DURING TAKEOFF, AND THAT HE WAS DITCHING. HE TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW ON SEPTEMBER 9, THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE FAILED AFTER TAKEOFF ABOUT 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. HE SAID THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED, THE FLAPS WERE UP, AND HE FEATHERED THE RIGHT PROPELLER, BUT HE WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE THE AIRPLANE ABOVE 90 KNOTS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE BEST SINGLE ENGINE RATE OF CLIMB AIRSPEED FOR THE PA-31 IS APPROXIMATELY 105 KNOTS. HE STATED HE MADE A WIDE RIGHT TURN OVER THE BAY, WHICH WAS AWAY FROM STEEP TERRAIN, TO ATTEMPT A RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, AND THE PILOT DITCHED IT INTO SMOOTH WATER. THE PILOT ESCAPED WITHOUT A PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICE AND THE AIRPLANE SANK WITHIN ONE MINUTE. THE PILOT WAS SWIMMING TOWARD A BARGE WHEN RESCUED ABOUT 30 MINUTES LATER. (.4) THE PILOT DEPARTED FROM AN INTERSECTION 2,100 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE 6,700 FEET LONG RUNWAY. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF THE RIGHT ENGINE FAILED. THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE THAT HE FEATHERED THE RIGHT PROPELLER, AND BEGAN A WIDE RIGHT TURN AWAY FROM TERRAIN IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. HE STATED THE AIRSPEED DID NOT REACH 90 KNOTS, THE AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE SLOWLY DECAYED, AND THE AIRPLANE DITCHED INTO SMOOTH WATER. AFTER RECOVERY, THE COWL FLAPS WERE FOUND IN THE OPEN POSITION. NO ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED WITH FULL FUEL TANKS, AT A TAKEOFF WEIGHT ESTIMATED AT 6,606 POUNDS. THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED AND NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. THE BEST SINGLE ENGINE RATE OF CLIMB AIRSPEED IS 106 KNOTS, BASED ON COWL FLAPS CLOSED, AND A FIVE DEGREE BANK INTO THE OPERATING ENGINE. (-23) ON SEPT 7, 1998, N4072A, A PIPER PA-31-150, DEPARTED HOMER AIRPORT. SHORTLY AFTER ROTATION AT 92 KNOTS, AND WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN TRANSIT, THE RIGHT ENGINE FAILED. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, CONTINUED STRAIGHT AHEAD AT AN ALTITUDE OF 150 FT ATTEMPTED A RESTART AND WHEN THIS FAILED, FEATHERED AND SHUT DOWN THE RIGHT ENGINE. HE THEN STARTED A GRADUAL RIGHT TURN WHICH WOULD PLACE THE AIRCRAFT OVER WATER, INSTEAD OF THE LEFT WHICH WOULD HAVE PLACED IT OVER A POPULATED AREA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEAR EXCEPT FOR THE RIGHT COWL FLAP WHICH WAS SET AT 50% OPEN. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE OR AIRSPEED AND THE AIRCRAFT CRASH LANDED IN KACHEMAK BAY AND SANK IN 120 FT. OF WATER. THE PILOT WAS RESCUED FROM THE WATER WITH NO INJURIES EXCEPT FOR BEING VERY COLD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CARRYING COMPANY FREIGHT AND WAS 1000 LBS UNDER GROSS WEIGHT. PILOT SAID HE HAD A BIANNUAL FLIGHT REVIEW IN JUNE THAT WAS SATISFACTORY. ## 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 ANC98LA143](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98LA143), Sep 7, 1998: Piper PA-31-350 (N4072A), Homer, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: A total loss of power in the right engine for undetermined reasons. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.