Piper PA-31-350 N9FW

Summary

On 15 December 2011 at about 17:00 local time, a Piper PA-31-350 registered N9FW, operated by Wright Air Service Inc, was involved in an accident near Hughes, 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.

Date

15 December 2011 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Hughes, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Hughes (HUS)

Coordinates

66.0392, -154.2814

Aircraft

Piper PA-31-350

Registration

N9FW

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Wright Air Service Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fairbanks → Hughes

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC12CA015

Nobody was injured.

The pilot did not clear the area surrounding the airplane prior to taxi, resulting in the airplane contacting a piece of baggage.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The operator reported that, after loading the airplane, the pilot started to taxi, and the left engine's propeller struck a piece of baggage that was left on the ramp after a prior flight. The propeller picked up the baggage and threw it onto the upper left side of the fuselage, resulting in substantial damage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.