Piper PA-31-350 N491SC
28 May 1997 · Greeley, Colorado, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 28 May 1997 at about 01:00 local time, a Piper PA-31-350 registered N491SC was involved in an accident near Greeley, Colorado, 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 01:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Greeley, Colorado, United States
- Coordinates
- 40.4406, -104.6703
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350
- Registration
- N491SC
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Scottsbluff → Colo Springs
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dusk
- NTSB number
- FTW97LA206
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
unlatching of the left outboard engine cowling latches for undetermined reason(s), which allowed the left engine cowling to separate inflight and strike the vertical stabilizer.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot said that while in cruise flight, he observed the left front portion of the left engine cowling starting to come loose. After receiving clearance from air traffic control, he started to divert to the nearest suitable airport. Shortly thereafter, the left cowling completely separated from the aircraft and struck the vertical stabilizer. Postaccident inspection disclosed the outboard cowling latches were in the UNLOCKED position, and the inboard latches were in the LOCKED position. A portion of the cowling remained attached via the inboard latches. The pilot said he checked the cowling latches during his preflight inspection and they were all in the LOCKED position. Orange stripes had been painted across the latches to visually indicate LOCKED and UNLOCKED positions.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-31 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Nov 1997 | Piper PA-31-T3 | Tyonek, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Dec 1997 | Piper PA-31-350 | Walker Cay, Bahamas | Amelia Airways, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-31-350 | Denver, Colorado, United States | American Check Transport, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 1997 | Piper PA-31-350 | Hayden, Colorado, United States | Flight Line, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 1997 | Piper PA-31-350 | Kotzebue, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Apr 1997 | Piper PA-31-350 | Pacific Ocean | Pilot Services Intl | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-32-300T | Del Norte, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-28-140 | Leadville, Colorado, United States | Michael S. Luther | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 1997 | Rans S-12 Airaile S-12 | Fort Collins, Colorado, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 1997 | Cessna 305A | Watkins, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 1997 | Cessna 210 | Peyton, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 1997 | Let BLANIK L-13 | Pagosa Springs, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |