Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Kake, Alaska 99830
Tuesady, June 25, 2002 11:45 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During a scheduled 14 CFR Part 135 commuter flight, an engine cowling latch disengaged in cruise flight, and the upper cowling opened and separated from the airplane. Wind passing over the open engine compartment extracted the engine oil dipstick, and oil siphoned from the dipstick tube covered the airplane's windscreen. The pilot declared an emergency, and was joined in-flight by a U. S. Coast Guard helicopter. The helicopter guided the airplane to a beach for an emergency landing. During the landing, the nose wheel of the airplane sank into the soft sand, and the nose gear collapsed, damaging the airplane's firewall. According to a report issued by the FAA aviation safety inspector, who inspected the accident airplane, the cowling latch receptacles displayed significant wear patterns.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The in-flight separation of the upper engine cowling from the airplane. A factor contributing to the accident was the soft, sandy terrain of the landing area.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/25/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1145 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Kake |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99830 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 570324N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1333754W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PAFE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1400 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.8 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 3 |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13025 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Anchorage, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 25 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 29 2003 4:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Juneau FSDO-05 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2947N |
| NTSB Number | ANC02LA069 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-7940225 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3400 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 23 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 5.6 |
| Airframe Hours | 8965 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Layton A. Bennett |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Haines |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99827 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | L A B FLYING SERVICE INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | PO Box 272 |
| Operator City | Haines |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99827 |
| Operator Code | LABA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PAFE |
| Departure City | Kake |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1129 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PAPG |
| Destination City | Petersburg |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - roll |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 6 2003 12:56PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PETL |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |