Piper PA-30 N98NT

Summary

On 4 June 1998 at about 00:32 local time, a Piper PA-30 registered N98NT was involved in an accident near Everett, Washington, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 June 1998 at 00:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Everett, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Snohomish County (PAE)

Coordinates

47.8903, -122.2496

Aircraft

Piper PA-30

Registration

N98NT

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA98LA085

1 person died.

The pilot-in-command's exiting the aircraft with both engines running to remove a wheel chock. A factor was the inadequate preflight of the aircraft (not removing the chock) prior to engine start.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot taxied the twin engine PA-30 (90 gallon fuel capacity) to a self service fueling island. There, he fueled the aircraft with 58.15 gallons of fuel at 1503. The aircraft was taxied back to the pilot's hangar area. Sometime thereafter, the pilot had used a jumper cable to connect the battery of his car to the aircraft's electrical system at the power receptacle located on the left side of the nose. Approximately 1732, with both engines running, the pilot exited the aircraft to remove the chock from the nose-wheel during which the aircraft rolled forward (east) and eventually impacted a parked Cessna primarily along its leading edge of the right wing. The PA-30's right engine stopped upon wing contact, and the momentum carried both aircraft in a clockwise arc a short distance southeast. The PA-30's left engine continued running after the collision. At a point consistent with the PA-30's initial contact with the Cessna, a pool of blood identified the spot were the pilot was first struck by the PA-30's left propeller. He drug himself under the PA-30 and into a 4:30 position stopping at a point close to the nose-wheel chock which was entangled in the jumper cables. A witness who spoke with the pilot reported that he remarked that 'I knew better, (unknown) was not removed, and the wind caught me.' The pilot was airlifted to a major hospital and expired approximately 10 hours later.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.