Piper PA 32R-300 accident near Mcgrath, Alaska, November 21, 2016
On November 21, 2016 at about 1:57 am local time, a 1976 Piper PA 32R-300, registered N4352F, suffered minor damage in an accident during enroute (descent) near Mcgrath, Alaska (Mc Grath airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the nose landing gear to extend and lock due to the failure of the alternator and reduced battery power due to the cold ambient temperature, which prohibited the electrically-driven hydraulic pump from supplying adequate hydraulic pressure to extend the nose landing gear. The cause of the left main landing gear collapse could not be determined, as there were no postaccident anomalies or malfunctions found when the landing gear was actuated following replacement of the alternator and battery.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 21, 2016 · about 1:57 am local time
- Place
- Mcgrath, Alaska · Mc Grath · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 32R-300 300, built 1976 · all PA 32R-300s on the register
- Registration
- N4352F · registry record · serial 32R-7680441
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The on-demand passenger flight was approaching its destination airport when the commercial pilot noted that the two main landing gear extended, but the nose landing gear did not extend and lock. The pilot diverted to a larger airport, where ground personnel verified that the nose landing gear was not down and locked even after the pilot completed the manual gear extension procedure. The pilot elected to land the airplane with the engine off, and he stated that the touchdown was uneventful. He held the airplane's nose off the runway for several hundred feet; the left main landing gear then collapsed and the nose wheel extended. The airplane slid about 200 ft before coming to rest. A witness reported that the touchdown was smooth and when the left main landing gear collapsed, the airplane gradually slowed to a stop on the runway. An examination of the airplane revealed that the alternator became inoperative during the flight, and, due to the cold temperatures, the battery was unable to accommodate the electrical load required by the system. In addition, the grease on the nosewheel was thick, which, combined with the cold temperatures, can increase its viscosity and reduce its effectiveness. Because the nose landing gear extends into the relative wind direction, it would be more difficult for it to extend and lock with the low battery power and increased viscosity of the grease. Further, because the landing gear was not in the "up" position when the emergency extension control was activated, the hydraulic fluid had already been released, thus rendering the emergency procedure ineffective. After landing and with a reduction in the relative wind, the gear was able to lock in place; however, the reason for the collapse of the left main landing gear could not be determined. When the alternator and battery were replaced, the airplane was placed on jacks and all three landing gear actuated as designed. A review of the passenger's injuries revealed that the fracture of the transverse process of L2 vertebrae was "age-indeterminate," which means that it could not be definitively determined when the injury occurred.
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
- Electrical system malf/failure during enroute (descent) defining event
- Landing gear not configured during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Hydraulic power system › (general) › Related operating info
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Alternator › generator drive sys › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Battery/charger › Damaged/degraded
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Low temperature › Effect on equipment
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Malfunction
- factor Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bidzy Ta Hot Aana CORP
The flight
- Departed from: SHX Shageluk AK
- Destination: FSP Nikolai AK
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 16, 5,936 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: -9°F (-23°C), dew point -17°F (-27°C)
- Altimeter: 29.63 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from PAMC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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 N4352F 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.