# NTSB ANC93LA105: Piper PA-31-350, N4112D, Gambell, AK, June 29, 1993 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 29, 1993, 10:25 local (18:25 UTC) - Place: Gambell, AK - Coordinates: 63.750537, -171.690933 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=63.7505&lon=-171.6909&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Standing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/150) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 7 uninjured; on the ground: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report August 26, 1994 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 2372 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC93LA105 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/2372/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC93LA105 ## Probable cause INTENTIONAL PERSONAL INJURY. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PERSON'S PSYCHOLOGICAL CONDITION, AND THE LACK OF SUFFICIENT PROCEDURES/AIRPORT STAFF BY THE OPERATOR(S). ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Propeller/rotor contact to person, standing - engine(s) operating - miscellaneous - intentional, other person (cause) - other psychological condition, other person (contributing factor) - inadequate surveillance,inadequate procedure, company/operator mgmt (contributing factor) ## Analysis AT A REMOTE VILLAGE AIRSTRIP, A PASSENGER DEPLANED FROM ONE SCHEDULED COMMUTER AIRPLANE AND INTENTIONALLY WALKED INTO THE PROPELLER ARC OF ANOTHER COMMUTER AIRPLANE WITH RUNNING ENGINES. NEITHER OPERATOR, NOR THE VILLAGE, HAD AN EMPLOYEE ON SCENE AT THE TIME. DURING MEDICAL TREATMENT THE PATIENT SAID THAT SHE HAD ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY WALKING INTO THE RUNNING PROPELLER. ## Factual narrative On June 29, 1993, at approximately 1025 Alaska daylight time, a passenger deplaned from a parked commuter airplane at Gambell, Saint Lawrence Island, Alaska, and was seriously injured when she intentionally walked into the arc of the left idling engine propeller of a standing Bering Air PA-31-350 airplane, N4112D, operating as Flight 4660. At the time of the accident, Flight 4660 was operating under the scheduled commuter flight rules of 14 CFR Part 135, under defense flight rules (DVFR) and instrument flight rules (IFR). Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The airline transport rated pilot in command and his six passengers on board were not injured and the airplane did not sustain any damage. The injured passenger told an Alaska State Trooper following her medical evacuation to Nome, that she had been aware of her act of walking into the airplane's propeller. (See Alaska State Trooper report attached and transcript.) A witness to the accident stated that the injured passenger said as she received first aid, "God told me to do this, I will not die!" and "Stop, I'm alright! Just keep on praying with [sic] God told me to do this I will not die!" (see statement of Zinnie Naomi Nowpakohok of Gambell, Alaska.) A blood alcohol and drug screen report for the injured passenger was negative. In an interview with the Bering Air pilot in command, the NTSB was told that after starting engines, the pilot was completing cockpit duties prior to taxi and was surprised by the sight of the woman approaching the idling left engine from along the leading edge of the left wing. The pilot shouted a warning and closed the mixture controls for both engines, however the woman turned and presented her buttocks to the propeller arc. The propeller struck the woman's posterior and legs several times before throwing her to the ground, witnesses reported. Other witnesses reported the woman "flying" from the contact. The NTSB learned from the Bering Air management that a company station agent was on vacation and that her replacement "had left a few minutes before (the incident) for town on his 4-wheeler with mail." The investigation revealed that the injured passenger had deplaned from a Ryan Air flight during a stopover at Gambell. The Ryan flight had boarded the passenger at Savoonga, also on Saint Lawrence Island, and was scheduled to depart for Nome after the planned departure of Bering Air flight 4660. The Ryan Air representative in Nome also stated to the NTSB that the Ryan station agent had also left for town before the accident. Both the Bering and Ryan Air management said that their safety policy stressed ramp safety in the training of their station agents. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4112D](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4112D), registered now, S/N 31-8353004 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-31-350 - Registry model: [Piper PA-31-350](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (registry code 7103110) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 8353004 - Airframe hours: 13107 - Engines: LYCOMING TIO540J2BD 350 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: No damage - Flight: Part 135 - Operator: Bering Air, Inc., doing business as Bering Air - Registered owner: Bering Air, Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, June 25, 1993, 14 hours before - Departed: GAM - Destination: OME, NOME, AK - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: GAM, Gambell ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 43; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 11,981 total, 6,024 in this make and model, 11,760 as pilot in command, 163 in the last 90 days, 68 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 20° at 7 knots - Visibility: 15 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,500 ft overcast - Temperature: 41 °F ## 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 19930629025219A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930629025219A), Jun 29, 1993: Piper PA31350, Gambell, AK. Passenger deplaned. Purposely walked into idling propeller. Person not sorry for injuries. Pilot unaware debarking. ## Other investigations on N4112D (3) 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 ANC26LA005](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC26LA005), Nov 17, 2025: Piper PA-31-350 (N4112D), Eek, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s loss of directional control when the airplane encountered snow and ice on the runway while landing at night in gusting crosswind conditions. - [NTSB ANC98LA167](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98LA167), Sep 17, 1998: Piper PA-31-350 (N4112D), Noorvik, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: A failure of the pilot to follow the aircraft checklist, and an inadvertent wheels up landing. - [NTSB ANC85FA041](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC85FA041), Jan 27, 1985: Piper PA-31-350 (N4112D), Savoonga, AK, substantial damage 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.