- Date
- January 29, 1993, 09:57 local (13:57 UTC)
- Place
- Port Heiden, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8327SPiper PA-32
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19930129005629A
- Case key
- 5860
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The failure of the number 3 cylinder intake valve stem. A factor in the degree of damage the aircraft sustained in the mishap was attributable to the off airport emergency landing on show covered tundra.
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 non scheduled air taxi cargo flight, conducted under 14 CFR part 135, experienced a loss of engine power while in cruise flight. The pilot made an emergency landing on snow covered tundra. A post accident examination of the powerplant by a federal aviation administration aviation safety inspector revealed that the number 3 cylinder intake valve stem failed, causing the valve to pass through the piston, resulting in extensive internal damage to the engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8327S
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-8106039
- Airframe hours
- 1,189
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Peninsula Airways, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Peninsula Airways, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 11, 1993 · 76 hours before
- Departed
- AKN · King Salmon, AK
- Destination
- KPV · Perryville, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,400 total · 3,900 in this make and model · 7,320 as pilot in command · 246 in the last 90 days · 72 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 14 °F, dew point 3 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PTH, 8 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8327S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.