Piper PA-32-301 accident near Kodiak, Alaska, August 12, 2011
On August 12, 2011 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-301, registered N8152Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Kodiak, Alaska (Kodiak airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power while on approach to land due to a disconnected throttle control linkage, and the maintenance director's inadequate inspection of the throttle linkage during maintenance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 2011 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kodiak, Alaska · Kodiak · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-301 · all PA-32-301s on the register
- Registration
- N8152Z · no longer on the register · serial 32-8006004
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and the operator's director of maintenance (DOM) were on a postmaintenance check flight. According to the pilot, while approaching to land, the throttle control became inoperative, resulting in a partial loss of engine power. The pilot selected a tidal beach as a forced landing site but was unable to reach it and landed in shallow water short of the site. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The DOM reported that, while troubleshooting a recurring complaint of low engine manifold pressure, he noticed that the castellated nut, which connects the throttle linkage to the fuel control servo, was loose. He said that he removed the cotter pin, tightened the nut, and reinstalled the cotter pin. A postaccident engine examination revealed that a self-locking nut was missing from the throttle linkage arm, resulting in the disconnection of the throttle cable. The DOM said that the missing locknut was not the same one that he tightened but was a nut on the other end of the throttle linkage arm, about 2 inches from the castellated nut that he tightened. The DOM noted that he should have checked the security of the self-locking nut, but he did not. The self-locking nut was not recovered.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Inadequate inspection
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Repair › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,575 hours in all; 509 in this make and model; 244 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: January 31, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,271 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 13, 2011; 86 hours since
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Redemption, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: PADQ Kodiak AK at 4:50 pm
- Destination: PADQ Kodiak AK
- Runway 29, 5,399 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 5:13 pm from PADQ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 N8152Z 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.