N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Gustavus, Alaska 99801
Monday, June 25, 2012 9:40 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The scheduled passenger flight was about 11 miles from its destination airport when the airplane’s engine began to lose power and vibrate. After completing the “Engine Power Loss In-Flight” emergency checklist, and with no improvement in engine power or the vibration, the pilot elected to shut down the engine and performed a forced landing on a beach. During the landing, the airplane’s nose landing gear folded back under the airplane, and the engine firewall sustained substantial damage. An examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft fractured forward of the #6 bearing journal on the crankshaft through the counterweight web. The fracture surfaces were all consistent with fatigue; however, the cause of the fatigue crack initiation could not be determined.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The fatigue failure of the engine crankshaft for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident metallurgical examination.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/25/2012
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 940
Event Time Zone --
Event City Gustavus
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99801
Event Date Year 2012
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 582220N
Event Location Longitude 1353619W
Event Location Airport N/A
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 --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1736 Coordinated Universal Time? Same as GMT
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 306
Weather Observation Facility ID PAGS
Elevation of weather observation facility 30
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 4
Time Zone of the weather observation UTC
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 2900
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) 12
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator --
Wind Speed (knots) --
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator --
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.84
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report METAR PAGS 251736Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM OVC029 12/09
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 4
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 32486
NTSB Notification Source ANC FAA ROC
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 7 2014 8:59PM
User who most recently changed record johc
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8908N
NTSB Number ANC12LA058
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 32-40695
Certified Max Gross Weight --
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 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection May 29 2012 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 14940
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AIR EXCURSIONS LLC
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City GUSTAVUS
Aircraft Owner State AK
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99826-0016
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name AIR EXCURSIONS LLC
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City GUSTAVUS
Operator State AK
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 99826-0016
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
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 PAJN
Departure City Juneau
Departure State AK
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 923
Departure Time Zone ADT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code --
Destination City Gustavus
Destination State AK
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Mar 18 2014 7:15PM
User who most recently changed record stam
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location N/A
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --