Piper PA-32-260 N4839S
14 August 1994 · Kenai, Alaska, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 14 August 1994 at about 17:27 local time, a Piper PA-32-260 registered N4839S was involved in an accident near Kenai, Alaska, United States. 4 people were on board and 3 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:27
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Kenai, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 60.6598, -150.8990
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260
- Registration
- N4839S
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Merrill Field → Port Alsworth
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC94FA106
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
INADEQUATE ENGINE MAINTENANCE AND/OR INSPECTION, AND FATIGUE CRACKING OF THE ENGINE CASE, WHICH RESULTED IN EVENTUAL DAMAGE TO THE #3 CYLINDER STUDS/ENGINE THROUGH-BOLTS, SUBSEQUENT SEPARATION OF THE #3 CYLINDER AND PISTON, AND AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A PART 135 ON-DEMAND AIR TAXI FLIGHT, WHEN PHYSICAL SEPARATION OF THE NO. 3 CYLINDER AND PISTON OCCURRED AND AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE ENSUED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE CRASH LANDED ON TERRAIN NEAR THE SHORELINE OF A BODY OF WATER. ONE OF THE FOUR OCCUPANTS SURVIVED THE CRASH, BUT THE SURVIVING PASSENGER COULD NOT RECALL EVENTS THAT LED TO THE ACCIDENT. MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE #3 AND #4 CYLINDER ASSEMBLIES WERE INSTALLED ABOUT 220 FLIGHT HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THIS MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED WITHOUT REMOVING THE ENGINE FROM THE AIRPLANE. NO PROBLEM WITH THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE WAS RECORDED SUBSEQUENT TO THE CYLINDER CHANGE. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED FATIGUE CRACKS IN THE CASE UNDER THE NO. 3 CYLINDER. MAGNIFIED INSPECTION OF THE CASE REVEALED WEAR AND DEFORMATION DAMAGE, WHERE THE HOLDING FLANGE AND INNER SKIRT OF THE CYLINDER WOULD NORMALLY BE POSITIONED, WHICH WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE CYLINDER MOVING IN RELATION TO THE CASE. ALSO, MECHANICAL DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT ON THE THREADS OF THE STUDS AND BOTH THROUGH-BOLTS.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-32 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Feb 1994 | Piper PA-32-300 | Tamarac, Florida, United States | Jacobson, Milton C. | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 1994 | Piper PA-32-300 | Marshalltown, Iowa, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Aug 1994 | Piper PA-32-300 | Richmond, Missouri, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Jan 1994 | Piper PA-32-301 | Truckee, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 1994 | Piper PA-32-260 | Front Royal, Virginia, United States | William H Peoples | Fatal | 5 |
| 17 Mar 1994 | Piper PA-32-300 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
All 1,695 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-18-150 | Gulkana, Alaska, United States | Maynard, Roger L. | No injuries | - |
| 8 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-12 | Nondalton, Alaska, United States | Alaska Safari, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 13 Sep 1994 | Cessna 140 | Willow, Alaska, United States | Moore, Charles D. | No injuries | - |
| 15 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-18-150 | Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States | 4W Air | No injuries | - |
| 13 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-18 | Kodiak, Alaska, United States | Hulbert, Ward A. | No injuries | - |
| 19 Aug 1994 | Cessna 182B | Ketchikan, Alaska, United States | Charlton, Albert J. | No injuries | - |