# Accident 19991015029069A: Piper PA31T3, Gambell, AK, October 15, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 15, 1999, 16:22 local time - Place: Gambell, AK - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Normal Cruise - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: CSAA - Location: 63.7493° N, 171.6909° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=63.7493&lon=-171.6909&mi=10 - Aircraft: N220CS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N220CS-2000-12-12) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-31T3 (registry code 7103128, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31t3) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA31T3 - Reported engine: PWA PT6A11 - People aboard: 5 - Fatal injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC00LA006](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC00LA006) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991015029069A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON OCTOBER 15, 1999, ABOUT 1630 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-31-T3 AIRPLANE, N220CS, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A BIRD ABOUT 18 MILES EAST OF GAMBELL, ALASKA, ABOUT LATITUDE 63 DEGREES, 41.5 MINUTES NORTH, AND LONGITUDE 171 DEGREES, 05.0 MINUTES WEST. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) SCHEDULED DOMESTIC PASSENGER FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 135, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS FLIGHT 394 BY CAPE SMYTHE AIR SERVICE INC., NOME, ALASKA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT, AND THE FOUR PASSENGERS, WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE SAVOONGA AIRPORT, SAVOONGA, ALASKA, ABOUT 1620. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR, FAIRBANKS FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE (FSDO), REPORTED HE WAS NOTIFIED BY THE OPERATOR OF THE BIRD STRIKE. THE FLIGHT WAS A CONTINUATION OF A SCHEDULED FLIGHT FROM NOME, TO GAMBELL, LOCATED ON SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND, IN THE BERING SEA. THE FAA INSPECTOR SAID THAT THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 2,500 FEET MSL, AT AN AIRSPEED OF ABOUT 200 KNO TS. HE SAID HE CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF A SEA GULL THAT SUDDENLY DOVE TOWARD THE WATER. THE SEA GULL STRUCK THE RIGHT WING, OUTBOARD OF THE RIGHT ENGINE NACELLE. THE PILOT LANDED AT GAMBELL WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. THE DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE FOR THE OPERATOR REPORTED THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE LEADING EDGE RECEIVED DOWNWARD, AND AFT CRUSHING OF THE WING STRUCTURE ABOUT 18 INCHES ACROSS, AND ABOUT 8 INCHES DEEP. THE DAMAGE TO THE WING INCLUDED SEVERAL RIBS, FORWARD SPAR, LEADING EDGE SKIN, AND THE DEICE BOOT. (.4)THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) SCHEDULED DOMESTIC PASSENGER FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 2,500 FEET MSL, AT AN AIRSPEED OF ABOUT 200 KNOTS. THE PILOT SAID HE CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF A SEA GULL THAT SUDDENLY DOVE TOWARD THE WATER. THE SEA GULL STRUCK THE RIGHT WING, OUTBOARD OF THE RIGHT ENGINE NACELLE. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. THE RIGHT WING'S LEADING EDGE UPPER SURFACE RECEIVED DOWNWARD AND AFT CRUSHING OF THE WING STRUCTURE ABOUT 18 INCHES ACROSS, AND ABOUT 8 INCHES DEEP. THE DAMAGE TO THE WING INCLUDED SEVERAL RIBS, FORWARD SPAR, LEADING EDGE SKIN, AND THE DEICE B OOT. (-23)PILOT WAS ENROUTE FROM SAVOONGA TO GAMBLE, ALASKA AT ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND. IN CRUISE AT 2,500' APPROXIMATELY 18 MILES EAST OF GAMBLE, SEAGULL. STRUCK RIGTH WING AT MID-WING AND CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. PILOT CONTINUED TO GAMBLE AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. ## 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 ANC00LA006](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC00LA006), Oct 16, 1999: Piper PA-31-T3 (N220CS), Gambell, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: An in-flight collision with a bird. ## Other reports on N220CS (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20000918040729A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000918040729A), Sep 18, 2000: Piper PA31T3 (N220CS), Nuiqsut, AL, No damage, 5 fatal. (-23)At approximately 1510 local time on September 18, 2000 the pilot landed at Nuiqsut, Alaska without extending the landing gear. After touching down on the… - [Incident 20000125000969I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000125000969I), Jan 25, 2000: Piper PA31T3 (N220CS), Savoonga, AK, Minor damage. (-23) [privacy data omitted] N220CS arrived at Savoonga, AK (sva) on an IFR flight poan and was going a visual approach to rwy 23, circle to rwy 05. The pilot… 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.