Piper PA-31-350 accident near Emmonak, Alaska, September 15, 2000
On September 15, 2000 at about 3:10 am local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N4105D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Emmonak, Alaska (Emmonak airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued operation of the airplane on unsuitable terrain, and the subsequent failure of the main landing gear torque link. Factors in the accident were rough and uneven runways, and inadequate surveillance of airport facilities/runway conditions by company management.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 15, 2000 · about 3:10 am local time
- Place
- Emmonak, Alaska · Emmonak · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N4105D · registry record · serial 31-8252027
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport certificated pilot was landing a twin engine airplane on a rough, gravel runway that contained potholes. The commuter flight had just departed a similar, rough runway. During the landing roll, the airplane rolled down the runway for about 600 feet. The right main landing gear wheel then rotated about 90 degrees in its landing gear strut housing, and slid along the surface of the gravel runway for several hundred feet. The lower landing gear strut and wheel then broke away from the upper strut housing. The right wing settled onto the runway. The right propeller tips, and the trailing edge of the right flap were damaged. The right wing attach points for the landing gear were not damaged. Upon inspection of the airplane, a torque link, installed on the right main landing gear strut, was found fractured at the outer pivot bolt hole. An metallurgical examination of the torque link revealed a fracture through the pivot point of the link with features typical of overstress separation. No evidence of preexisting conditions, such as crack arrest marks, or corrosion damage was found.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,500 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 5,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,340 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 5, 2000; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,368 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUK Alakanuk AK at 10:00 pm
- Destination: PAEM
- Runway 16, 4,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 7 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N4105D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.