Piper PA-31-350 N3528Y
3 July 1999 · Garden Valley, Idaho, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 3 July 1999 at about 18:00 local time, a Piper PA-31-350 registered N3528Y, operated by Salmon Air, Inc., was involved in an accident near Garden Valley, Idaho, United States. 8 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. 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 18:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Garden Valley, Idaho, United States
- Coordinates
- 44.0799, -115.8494
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350
- Registration
- N3528Y
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Salmon Air, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Salmon → Boise
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA99LA100
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
Probable cause
Loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion because the pilot failed to refuel the airplane. A ditch in the landing area was a contributing factor in the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that while in cruise configuration, the low fuel pressure lights illuminated and the left engine began to surge. The pilot selected cross-feed and the engine functioned normally . Three to four minutes after selecting cross-feed, the left engine began to surge again. With the right engine still operating, the pilot secured the left engine and executed a forced landing in an open field. During the landing roll, the aircraft collided with a ditch and the nose gear collapsed, causing substantial damage to the aircraft's fuselage. An FAA inspector inspected the aircraft after the accident and reported that there was no evidence of fuel in the aircraft's fuel tanks. He also stated the fuel system was not breached and there was no evidence of a preexisting fuel leak. In a written statement, the pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft at the time of the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-31 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Mar 1999 | Piper PA-31-350 | Waterloo, Iowa, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jun 1999 | Piper PA-31-350 | Tanana, Alaska, United States | Larry's Flying Service Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 Oct 1999 | Piper PA-31 | Soldotna, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Oct 1999 | Piper PA-31-T3 | Gambell, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Apr 1999 | Piper PA-31-310 | La Verne, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Sep 1999 | Piper PA-31-310 | Nicholls Town, Bahamas | Webs Palnes, Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jul 1999 | Air Tractor AT-502 | Shelley, Idaho, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 4 Nov 1999 | Kaman K-1200 | Emida, Idaho, United States | Mountain West Helicopters, LLC | No injuries | - |
| 12 Sep 1999 | Gentry SERIES 5 VIXEN | Naples, Idaho, United States | Daniel Byler | Fatal | 2 |
| 13 Mar 1999 | Piper PA-28-140 | Rexburg, Idaho, United States | Dean R. Hathaway | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Sep 1999 | Stinson 108-2 | Burley, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Sep 1999 | Pitts 11 | Iona, Idaho, United States | Noble, James, K. | Fatal | 1 |