# NTSB ANC02LA040: Piper PA-32R-300, N9243K, Noorvik, AK, May 24, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 24, 2002, 10:30 local (18:30 UTC) - Place: Noorvik, AK - Coordinates: 66.816665, -161.016662 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=66.8167&lon=-161.0167&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 30, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 54774 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC02LA040 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54774/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54774 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC02LA040 ## Probable cause The partial loss of engine power during the climb to cruise for an undetermined reason, which resulted in a forced landing in soft terrain. A factor associated in the accident was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing. ## Analysis The solo commercial pilot departed from a remote airport on an air taxi/cargo flight. After takeoff, during cruise climb, the engine began to run rough and lose power. Emergency engine procedures did not remedy the roughness and power loss. During the subsequent forced landing in a marshy, muskeg-covered area, the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, engine firewall, and fuselage. After recovery, an FAA airworthiness inspector's examination of the engine did not find any mechanical malfunction. ## Factual narrative On May 24, 2002, about 1030 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Piper PA-32R-300 airplane, N9243K, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a partial loss of engine power, about 5 miles northeast of Noorvik, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand cargo/U.S. mail flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The airplane was registered to, and operated by, Larry's Flying Service, Inc., Fairbanks, Alaska. The solo certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and VFR company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated about 1020, from the Noorvik Airport, and was en route to Kiana, Alaska. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on May 29, the pilot reported that after takeoff, while in cruise climb, the engine began to run rough and lose power. He said that while performing emergency engine procedures, he noted that the fuel pressure was rapidly decreasing. During the subsequent forced landing in a marshy, muskeg-covered area, the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, engine firewall, and fuselage. The airplane was retrieved from the accident site by company and insurance personnel, and transported to the operator's maintenance facility in Fairbanks. On August 14, 2002, two Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspectors from the Fairbanks Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), examined the airplane at a contract maintenance facility hangar, located at the Fairbanks International Airport. The inspectors reported that the engine had been removed from the airframe during recovery efforts. They added that in the process of removing the engine from the airframe, recovery personnel removed various fuel supply lines, exhaust system components, and the magneto harness system. The inspectors reported that the engine's valve train continuity was established, and all of the engine's internal components operated normally when the engine was rotated by hand. The fuel control filter screen was free of contaminates. In the FAA inspector's written report to the NTSB, the inspector wrote, in part: "Overall, we found no indication that the engine had failed to operate properly prior to the accident." A copy of the FAA inspector's report is included in the public docket for the accident. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(partial) - nonmechanical, climb - to cruise - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - none suitable (contributing factor) - terrain condition - soft ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9243K](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9243K-2015-05-21), registration cancelled 2015-05-21, S/N 32R-7680201, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-32R-300 - Registry model: [Piper PA-32R-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-300) (registry code 7103213) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TI0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (registry code 41533, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 32R-7680201 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540K165D 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 135 - Registered owner: Larrys Flying Service Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, May 15, 2002, 16.5 hours before - Departed: ORV, Noorvik, AK - Destination: IAN, Kiana, AK - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: OVR, Noorvik ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 37; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review July 25, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 3,400 total, 1,700 in this make and model, 3,260 as pilot in command, 238 in the last 90 days, 77 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 50 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020524010149A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020524010149A), May 24, 2002: Piper PA32R300, Noorvik, AK, No damage. (-23) Departed otz enroute orv, landed orv. Departed orv enroute ian climb out - level off, 1800 ft, notice pwr loss, turn around, performed emergency… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 8, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54774. 563 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 468 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40438884&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Reports from Federal Agencies (item 2, .PDF, 95 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40438885&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Reports%20from%20Federal%20Agencies-Redacted.PDF 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. --- 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.