Plane Crash List

Piper PA-32 N9000N

12 April 1997 · Quinhagak, Alaska, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 12 April 1997 at about 23:40 local time, a Piper PA-32 registered N9000N was involved in an accident near Quinhagak, Alaska, United States. 6 people were 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 23:40
Classification
Accident
Location
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States
Coordinates
59.7394, -161.8910
Aircraft
Piper PA-32
Registration
N9000N
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Purpose of flight
Unknown
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Unknown → Goodnews
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
ANC97LA055

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
6 0 0 0 6

Probable cause

A disconnected exhaust manifold collector, improper maintenance of the airplane by company maintenance personnel, and the pilot's poor judgement in electing to initiate another flight after observing smoke in the cockpit.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The air taxi pilot/company owner was taking off from his base of operations airport in rural Alaska with a new hire pilot and four passengers. About one mile from the airport, the pilot and passengers saw and smelled smoke. The pilot immediately returned and landed. At the pilot's request, the new hire pilot exited the airplane, checked the engine oil dipstick for security, and then reentered the cockpit. The pilot made another takeoff. Shortly after takeoff, smoke began to fill the cockpit, and flame was visible coming from the engine cowling. An emergency landing was made just off the airport on a small island. The occupants of the airplane extinguished the fire with water and a small fire extinguisher. Postaccident inspection disclosed a loose exhaust manifold and fire damage in the vicinity of the exposed exhaust ports. Nuts which affix the exhaust manifold to the engine were found in the bottom of the cowling. The airplane had maintenance performed about one month previously which necessitated the removal of the left manifold.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Piper PA-32 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
18 Jun 1997 Piper PA-32-300T
N8056Y
Del Norte, Colorado, United States - No injuries -
23 Oct 1997 Piper PA-32-300
N30505
Juneau, Alaska, United States - Fatal 2
28 Sep 1997 Piper PA-32-300
N55629
Stuart Island, Washington, United States - No injuries -
25 Mar 1997 Piper PA-32-260
N3604W
Lincoln Park, New Jersey, United States
approximate position
Walter C Corocco Minor injuries -
9 Apr 1997 Piper PA-32-300
N9768C
Vincentown, New Jersey, United States
approximate position
Carl J. Mikuletzky No injuries -
16 Apr 1997 Piper PA-32-300
N321HP
Belmar, New Jersey, United States
approximate position
- No injuries -

All 1,695 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
20 Oct 1997 Cessna 208B
N9304F
Kasigluk, Alaska, United States Peninsula Airways Inc. No injuries -
3 Oct 1997 Piper PA-22-160
N8955D
Sterling, Alaska, United States - Fatal 1
12 Oct 1997 Cessna 182B
N7269E
Palmer, Alaska, United States - No injuries -
15 Oct 1997 Bell 206-B2
N86TA
Sutton, Alaska, United States - No injuries -
21 Oct 1997 Piper PA-20
N7049K
Naknek, Alaska, United States - No injuries -
26 Oct 1997 Piper PA-12
N4380M
Anchorage, Alaska, United States - No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States