- Date
- September 30, 1982, 08:36 local (12:36 UTC)
- Place
- Kenai, AK
- Injuries
- 7 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N61366Piper PA31-350
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19820930058329I
- Case key
- 71247
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The commuter flight departed Kenai, destined for anchorage AK. The pilot stated that while on approach he could not obtain a positive gear down and locked indication on the nose gear. The pilot elected to return to Kenai airport due to weather at anchorage. Upon landing the nosewheel retracted. Examination of the nose gear revealed that a stainless steel flexible line enclosed in a protective rubber casing was chafed by a bolt in the nose gear scissors assembly. The stainless steel exterior mesh was rusted through and gave no support to the internal pressure line, thereby allowing the line to burst.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N61366
- Reported as
- Piper PA31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-7552108
- Airframe hours
- 6,868
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540J2BD, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Southcentral Air Inc.
- Registered owner
- Southcentral Air Inc.
- Departed
- ENA · Kenai, AK
- Destination
- ANC · Anchorage, AK
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ENA · Kenai Airport, runway 19, 7,500 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 1,525 in this make and model · 3,750 as pilot in command · 320 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 104 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.