Piper PA-31-350 N3527U

Summary

On 12 August 1998 at about 04:20 local time, a Piper PA-31-350 registered N3527U was involved in an accident near Fort Yukon, Alaska, United States. 8 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.

Date

12 August 1998 at 04:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Yukon, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Fort Yukon (FYU)

Coordinates

66.5608, -145.2508

Aircraft

Piper PA-31-350

Registration

N3527U

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fairbanks → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC98LA120

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to follow the pre-landing checklist. A factor associated with the accident was the pilot's diverted attention.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot was preparing to land a multiengine, retractable landing gear airplane. He reported that while on downwind for landing on runway 21, a passenger in the rear of the airplane distracted his attention while he was performing his prelanding checks, and he failed to lower the landing gear prior to landing. The pilot stated: ' I just forgot to put the gear down after talking to the passenger.' In his written statement to the NTSB, the pilot added that while on short final, a flock of large birds again distracted his attention from completing a 'final gear check before landing.' The airplane landed on its belly, slid for about 550 feet, and came to rest in the center of the runway, about 1,000 feet from the threshold of the approach end of runway 21. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage bulkheads, and belly skin. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.