20150930022899I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-31-350 · Fairbanks, AK · September 30, 2015

Date: September 30, 2015 · 10:00 local
Place: Fairbanks, AK
Airport: Fairbanks International
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: EPUA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N4501B
Reported as: Piper PA-31-350
Reported engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,000 total2,000 in this make and model200 in the last 90 days

N4501BRegistered now · Piper PA-31-350S/N 31-8052168 · Built 1980 Airframe modelPiper PA-31-350 Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

Pilot states that he was on a maintenance test flight for alternator repair. He headed southeast to the practice area and returned to Fairbanks airport at 1500 MSL. While switching from approach control to tower, he saw 5-8 birds and felt one impact. He stated that he could not see any damage from inside the aircraft. Uneventful landing. Upon postflight inspection, he noticed impact damage on the right wing leading edge outboard of the nacelle. Pilot notified maintenance and noted the discrepancy in the logbook.

Photograph provided by carrier indicates damage to the right wing leading edge, extending aft to the spar including a rib.

Repair documentation shows damage did not include the forward wing spar.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATES THAT HE WAS ON A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT FOR ALTERNATOR REPAIR. HE HEADED SOUTHEAST TO THE PRACTICE AREA AND RETURNED TO FAIRBANKS AIRPORT AT 1500 MSL. WHILE SWITCHING FROM APPROACH CONTROL TO TOWER, HE SAW 5-8 BIRDS AND FELT ONE IMPACT. HE STATED THAT HE COULD NOT SEE ANY DAMAGE FROM INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT. UNEVENTFUL LANDING. UPON POSTFLIGHT INSPECTION, HE NOTICED IMPACT DAMAGE ON THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE OUTBOARD OF THE NACELLE. PILOT NOTIFIED MAINTENANCE AND NOTED THE DISCREPANCY IN THE LOGBOOK.

PHOTOGRAPH PROVIDED BY CARRIER INDICATES DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE, EXTENDING AFT TO THE SPAR INCLUDING A RIB.

REPAIR DOCUMENTATION SHOWS DAMAGE DID NOT INCLUDE THE FORWARD WING SPAR.

Other reports on N4501B · 2

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

Incident 20140927018199ICruise/Level Flight · Kotzebue, AKDuring cruise flight, the left engine operation became erratic. As a precautionary measure, the pilot shut down, secured the engine, and landed without further incident.Sep 27, 2014 · No damage Incident 19960527023669ITo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · Show Low, AZNarrative: on may 27, 1996 at approx. 1630 MST, the pilot of N4501B a Piper navajo, operating for a commuter airline with 1 passenger on board, observed smoke coming from the lower inboard side of the pilot instrument panel, just after take off. The pilot…May 27, 1996