Piper PA-32-260 N3983W
12 December 2003 · Larson Bay, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 12 December 2003 at about 17:00 local time, a Piper PA-32-260 registered N3983W, operated by Island Air Service, was involved in an accident near Larson Bay, Alaska, 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 17:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Larson Bay, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 57.5000, -153.8833
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260
- Registration
- N3983W
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Island Air Service
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Kodiak → Larson Bay
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC04LA014
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The loss of engine power for an unknown reason while maneuvering, which resulted in the pilot ditching the airplane. Factors contributing to the accident were a low ceiling and a snow squall.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The cargo flight departed with 64 gallons of fuel onboard, using the right main tank (approximately 15 gallons) for the first leg of the approximately 170 mile round trip with two intermediate stops. The pilot said about 30 minutes into the flight, about 5 miles south of the first airport of intended landing, he flew into a snow squall, and descended to 500' msl over the bay to maintain visual reference to the ground. He initiated a steep 180 degree left turn because of rising terrain ahead, and during the turn, the engine lost all power. He said he rolled out on the reverse heading, switched fuel tanks, and unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine. The pilot subsequently ditched the airplane in the relatively calm water of a cove. The crew of a fishing boat who witnessed the ditching picked up the pilot. The airplane was subsequently recovered, and the engine successfully run by maintenance personnel.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-32 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Nov 2003 | Piper PA-32-300 | Missing, Bahamas | Watermakers Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Nov 2003 | Piper PA-32-300 | Superior, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 May 2003 | Piper PA-32-300 | Calhoun, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 18 Jun 2003 | Piper PA-32-300 | Fort Mill, South Carolina, United States | Package Express | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Mar 2003 | Piper PA-32-300 | Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, United States | Travis Lee Butts | Fatal | 3 |
| 19 Oct 2003 | Piper PA-32-300 | Everglades City, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 1,695 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Mar 2003 | Rockwell 500-S | Chickaloon, Alaska, United States | State of Alaska Division of Forestry | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2003 | Williamson GLASTAR | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 2003 | Cessna 206 | English Bay, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 Aug 2003 | Cloud-Wag Aero SPORTSMEN | Noatak, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 2003 | Cessna 401 | Gustavus, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 12 Jul 2003 | Piper PA-18 | Talkeetna, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |