Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Nome Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Nome, Alaska 99762
Thursday, March 27, 1997 17:11 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was on a short final approach to land when the pilot noticed flames coming from the left engine nacelle. He turned off the fuel to the left engine, and made an uneventful landing. The fire continued to burn after landing, and the local fire department extinguished the fire. Postaccident inspection disclosed a leaking engine driven fuel pump. The pump was leaking where the relief valve cover is fastened to the fuel pump body. The screws which fasten the cover to the pump were found to be finger tight. Once the screws were refastened to the recommended torque values, the leak stopped. Other, new, fuel pumps of the same type were tested for leaks. Four of the seven pumps tested leaked, and were found to have relief valve cover screws which were under torqued. This type of fuel pump has an extensive history of leaks, and service bulletins had been issued reference inspection and refastening of the cover screws. The accident airplane was in compliance with the factory service bulletin(s). The fuel pump manufacturer and the engine manufacturer have issued new service bulletins which address repetitive inspections of the fuel pump.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
a fuel leak from an engine driven fuel pump which initiated an engine fire, and the fuel pump manufacturer's inadequate quality control of the fuel pump.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/27/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1711 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | NOME |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99762 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | NOME |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PAOM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 37 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1650 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | OME |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 37 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Not Reported |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 80 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -8 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1423 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 28 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 730 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4105D |
| NTSB Number | ANC97LA041 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | In-flight |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-31-350 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-31-350 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 31-8252027 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7368 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 10 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 23 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 5748 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GRANT AVIATION |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 89 |
| Aircraft Owner City | EMMONAK |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99581 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | ENHA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SHH |
| Departure City | SHISHMAREF |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1631 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | PAOM |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 2 |
| Runway Length | 5576 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |