Piper PA 31-350 N4079H
17 May 2015 · Homer, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 17 May 2015 at about 00:15 local time, a Piper PA 31-350 registered N4079H, operated by J and M Alaska Air Tours Inc, was involved in an accident near Homer, Alaska, United States. 8 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 00:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Homer, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Homer (HOM)
- Coordinates
- 59.6478, -151.4700
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 31-350
- Registration
- N4079H
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1981
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- J and M Alaska Air Tours Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Tatitlek → Homer
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC15CA027
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear before landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to continue the approach to landing while distracted and his failure to complete the landing checklist.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was landing a retractable landing gear-equipped, twin engine airplane at an uncontrolled airport. While on final approach, an airplane that landed in front of him reported a moose in the vicinity of the runway. An airport maintenance person announced on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) that he was attempting to chase the moose off of the runway. The pilot became distracted trying to avoid wake turbulence from the preceding airplane and monitor the location of the vehicle and moose and failed to extend the landing gear prior to landing. During touchdown, the airplane contacted the runway with the landing gear retracted, and it slid about 1,200 feet. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-31 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Feb 2015 | Piper PA 31-350 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | Solutions Air Charter | No injuries | - |
| 17 Nov 2015 | Piper PA 31-350 | Portland, Oregon, United States | Ameriflight LLC. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Oct 2015 | Piper PA-31-325 | Chia, Colombia | El Caminante Air S.A. | Fatal | 2 |
| 12 Dec 2015 | Piper PA 31 | Clearwater, Florida, United States | Creative Marketing Associates Inc | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jan 2015 | Piper PA-31-350 | Goodland, Kansas, United States | Key Lime Air | No injuries | - |
| 6 Sep 2014 | Piper PA-31-350 | Araracuara, Colombia | Latinoamericana De Sevicios Aereos - Laser S.A.S | Fatal | 10 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jun 2015 | De Havilland DHC-3T | Skwentna, Alaska, United States | Alaska Air Taxi LLC | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jan 2015 | Piper PA 18 | Wasilla, Alaska, United States | STATE OF ALASKA / Alaska State Troopers | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 Apr 2015 | Cessna 180 | Whittier, Alaska, United States | Dale A. Carlson | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Dec 2015 | Piper PA 18A | Girdwood, Alaska, United States | Okonek Kellie L | No injuries | - |
| 1 Feb 2015 | Piper PA 12 | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jun 2015 | Maule M 7-235B | Talkeetna, Alaska, United States | Kaylor Ronald N | No injuries | - |