Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aniak Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Aniak, Alaska 99557
Monday, August 4, 2008 15:50 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airline-transport-certificated pilot was departing in a twin-engine airplane that was about 130 pounds below its maximum gross weight. About 200 feet above the ground, the pilot reported a loss of engine power in the left engine and smoke was seen coming from the left engine by ground witnesses. The pilot indicated that he feathered the left engine, but that the airplane was descending and he elected to make an emergency landing on a gravel bar about .5 mile from the airport. Following the accident, the operator's maintenance personnel removed the left engine from the airframe and shipped it to an engine repair facility for examination. The airplane's left engine, which was equipped with a turbocharger, was placed on a test stand where it was started and ran, but it would not produce power (measured in manifold pressure) above ambient pressure. The engine's turbocharger was removed and replaced. A second engine run, with the new turbocharger installed, resulted in the engine developing full power. The original turbocharger was disassembled and inspected. The inspection revealed that one of the turbine shaft bearings had failed and that the turbine shaft and blades were damaged. One thrust bearing had fractured, with half of the bearing missing.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A partial loss of engine power during takeoff due to a failure of the left engine's turbocharger as a result of the failure of a turbine shaft bearing. Contributing to the accident was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/4/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1550 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Aniak |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99557 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 613454N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1593235W |
| Event Location Airport | Aniak |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PANI |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 88 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1556 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 80 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PANI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 88 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.11 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | 5 |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25046 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ANC ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 4 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 13 2009 6:37PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-AL-ANC FSDO 03 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N40YR |
| NTSB Number | ANC08LA097 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-31-350 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 31-7952008 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7368 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 8 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 25 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 14 |
| Airframe Hours | 10047 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Frontier Flying Service Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5245 Airport Industrial Ave. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Fairbanks |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99709 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Frontier Flying Service Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 5245 Airport Industrial Ave. |
| Operator City | Fairbanks |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99709 |
| Operator Code | FFSA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | PANI |
| Departure City | Aniak |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1550 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PAHX |
| Destination City | Shageluk |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 13 2009 6:36PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 28 |
| Runway Length | 6000 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |