Hammer AVID FLYER N525BB
4 May 1997 · Chitina, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 4 May 1997 at about 03:00 local time, a Hammer AVID FLYER registered N525BB was involved in an accident near Chitina, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 03:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Chitina, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Chitna (CXC)
- Coordinates
- 61.4490, -143.1500
- Aircraft
- Hammer AVID FLYER
- Registration
- N525BB
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → McCarthy
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC97LA068
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
improper overhaul of the engine, which resulted in a seized piston and resultant loss of engine power. Rough terrain in the emergency landing area was a related factor.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was departing in a homebuilt airplane from a remote airstrip. After departure, the airplane climbed to about 250 feet above the ground, and then the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot performed a 180 degree turn back toward the runway, but landed in rough terrain, just short of the runway. The engine was overhauled 5 hours before the accident, and one piston was replaced with an oversize piston. Following the accident, an examination of the engine revealed the oversize piston was seized in the cylinder. The seized piston was found to be the same size as the cylinder bore.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-32-300 | Juneau, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 20 Oct 1997 | Cessna 208B | Kasigluk, Alaska, United States | Peninsula Airways Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-22-160 | Sterling, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Oct 1997 | Cessna 182B | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Oct 1997 | Bell 206-B2 | Sutton, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-20 | Naknek, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |