Piper PA-31-350 N4105D
27 March 1997 · Nome, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 27 March 1997 at about 21:11 local time, a Piper PA-31-350 registered N4105D was involved in an accident near Nome, Alaska, United States. 3 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 21:11
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Nome, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Nome (PAOM)
- Coordinates
- 64.7100, -164.6200
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350
- Registration
- N4105D
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Shishmaref → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Not Reported
- NTSB number
- ANC97LA041
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
a fuel leak from an engine driven fuel pump which initiated an engine fire, and the fuel pump manufacturer's inadequate quality control of the fuel pump.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane was on a short final approach to land when the pilot noticed flames coming from the left engine nacelle. He turned off the fuel to the left engine, and made an uneventful landing. The fire continued to burn after landing, and the local fire department extinguished the fire. Postaccident inspection disclosed a leaking engine driven fuel pump. The pump was leaking where the relief valve cover is fastened to the fuel pump body. The screws which fasten the cover to the pump were found to be finger tight. Once the screws were refastened to the recommended torque values, the leak stopped. Other, new, fuel pumps of the same type were tested for leaks. Four of the seven pumps tested leaked, and were found to have relief valve cover screws which were under torqued. This type of fuel pump has an extensive history of leaks, and service bulletins had been issued reference inspection and refastening of the cover screws. The accident airplane was in compliance with the factory service bulletin(s). The fuel pump manufacturer and the engine manufacturer have issued new service bulletins which address repetitive inspections of the fuel pump.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-32-300 | Juneau, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 20 Oct 1997 | Cessna 208B | Kasigluk, Alaska, United States | Peninsula Airways Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-22-160 | Sterling, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Oct 1997 | Cessna 182B | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Oct 1997 | Bell 206-B2 | Sutton, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-20 | Naknek, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |