# Incident 19981220042449I: Piper PA31350, Tacoma, WA, December 20, 1998

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 20, 1998, 19:30 local time
- Place: Tacoma, WA
- Airport: Tacoma Naarrows Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: HARA
- Location: 47.2529° N, 122.4443° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Tacoma, WA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.2529&lon=-122.4443&mi=10
- Aircraft: N417PM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N417PM-2023-02-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31350
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,070 total, 22 in this make and model, 151 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981220042449I

## Narrative

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

(-5) PILOT IS A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR EMPLOYED BY HARBOR AIRLINES PARENT COMPANY AND IS NOT A HARBOR AIRLINES LINE PILOT. HE HAS BEEN FLIGHT CHECKED BY HARBOR AIRLINES PERSONNEL AND IS AUTHORIZED ONLY TO FERRY HARBOR AIRLINES AIRCRAFT. ON DECEMBER 20, 1998, THE PILOT WAS ASSIGNED TO FERRY AN AIRCRAFT THAT HAD COME OUT OF MAINTENANCE. THE AIRCRAFT RESPONDED NORMALLY AS THE PILOT TAXIED FROM THE RAMP ONTO THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY. AS THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED DOWN THE TAXIWAY THE PILOT NOTED A PROBLEM WITH THE NOSE WHEEL STEERING. HE STOPPED THE AIRCRAFT AND CONTACTED HARBOR AIRLINES FLIGHT MANAGEMENT BY RADIO. FLIGHT MANAGEMENT HAD NO SUGGESTIONS, SO PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE RAMP. THE PILOT TAXIED FORWARD AND MADE A TURN TO THE LEFT TO RETURN TO THE RAMP. DURING THE TURN THE AIRCRAFT BRAKES FAILED AND THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OFF THE TAXIWAY ONTO THE GRASS WHERE A PROPELLER STRUCK A TAXIWAY LIGHT.

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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