Piper PA-31-350 N4098A
20 March 2008 · Portland, Oregon, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 20 March 2008 at about 17:26 local time, a Piper PA-31-350 registered N4098A, operated by Ameriflight LLC, was involved in an accident near Portland, Oregon, 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 17:26
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Portland, Oregon, United States
- Nearest airport
- Portland (PDX)
- Coordinates
- 45.5886, -122.6075
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350
- Registration
- N4098A
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Ameriflight LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Portland → Roseburg
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX08LA080
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The failure of company maintenance personnel to install the upper pivot bolt through the pivot hole in the upper end of the landing gear actuating rod, and the company maintenance inspector's inadequate inspection of the work performed.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that when he was preparing to land at his destination, he found that the right main landing gear failed to extend. The pilot diverted back to the originating airport. Maintenance personnel discussed the problem with the pilot and various remedial actions were tried without success. The pilot declared an emergency, and landed with the right main gear retracted. During the recovery efforts, the airplane was jacked up in order to extend the right main landing gear, which locked in place. The airplane was then towed to a hangar. Examination revealed that the upper pivot bolt had not been installed through the pivot hole in the upper end of the actuating rod during recent maintenance. The mechanic who did the repair and the inspector who signed off the repair did not detect the discrepancy.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-31 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Jan 2008 | Piper PA-31-350 | Kodiak, Alaska, United States | Servant Air, Inc. | Fatal | 6 |
| 14 Oct 2008 | Piper PA-31-350 | Portland, Oregon, United States | Ameriflight, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 29 Sep 2008 | Piper PA-31-350 | Fresno, California, United States | Ameriflight, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 4 Aug 2008 | Piper PA-31-350 | Aniak, Alaska, United States | Frontier Flying Service Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 2008 | Piper PA-31-310 | Maiquetia, Venezuela | Aircraft Guaranty Holdings & Trust LLC Trustee | Fatal | 3 |
| 28 Aug 2008 | Piper PA-31-350 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Aeronet Supply | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Aug 2008 | Boeing BV234 | Burns, Oregon, United States | Columbia Helicopters Leasing | No injuries | - |
| 28 Aug 2008 | Mason FALCONAR F-11 | Creswell, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jun 2008 | Robinson R-22 BETA | Philomath, Oregon, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 2008 | Wasson Loehle LOEHLE P-40 | Oregon City, Oregon, United States | John Wasson | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 May 2008 | Beechcraft B19 | Burns, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 May 2008 | Diamond DA-40 | Lakeview, Oregon, United States | Alpine Aviation | No injuries | - |