- Date
- March 21, 2019, 09:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Atmautluak, AK
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N5544FPiper PA32R
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Airport occurrence
- Weather
- Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190321014979A
- Case key
- 99150
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 airplane's encounter with a snow-covered pothole during taxi.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, while taxiing to the runway for departure, he felt a "large bump." The pilot immediately shut down the engine and inspected the airplane. He identified damage to the right wing and landing gear. The pilot further reported that he inspected the taxiway after he saw the airplane's damage and noted that the large bump he felt was due to the right landing gear's encounter with a snow-covered pothole. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while taxiing to the runway for departure, he felt a "large bump." The pilot immediately shutdown the engine and inspected the airplane. He identified damage to the right wing and landing gear. The pilot further reported that he inspected the taxiway after he saw the airplane's damage, and the large bump he felt was the right landing gear encounter with a snow-covered pothole. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5544F
- Reported as
- Piper PA32R (300)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7780014
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 2,421.8
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Yute Commuter Service
- Registered owner
- Michael W Renfro
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 28, 2019
- Departed
- BET · Bethel, AK
- Destination
- 4A2 · Atmautluak, AK
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 4A2 · Atmautluak, runway 33, 3,000 × 75 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 13, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,183.9 total · 458.8 in this make and model · 1,153.9 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 125 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Not reported
- Wind
- 30° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.29 inHg
- Observed at
- PABE, 14 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 10, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 MB in all.
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 N5544F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.