Piper PA-32-300 accident near Bethel, Alaska, April 12, 2019
On April 12, 2019, a 1972 Piper PA-32-300, registered N4466T, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Bethel, Alaska. It was flown 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
A total loss of engine power due to a fatigue failure of the crankshaft. A contributing factor was the inadequate inspection during the engine’s last overhaul.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2019
- Place
- Bethel, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300, built 1972 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N4466T · no longer on the register · serial 32-7240067
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while in cruise flight, the engine lost partial power, then total power, and the propeller stopped turning. During the subsequent off-airport forced landing on the tundra meadow, the main landing gear separated from the airplane, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. Examination of the engine revealed a crankshaft failure that was likely a result of fatigue cracking that emanated from the surface of the main journal. The engine was overhauled at a certified repair station about 14 flight hours before the accident. The engine manufacturer overhaul manual stated that the crankshaft was to be inspected using a magnetic particle inspection procedure as part of the overhaul; however, the crankshaft was not inspected as part of the overhaul. It is likely that if the crankshaft had been inspected as indicated, the fatigue cracking would have been detected and corrected during overhaul.
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 (total) during enroute defining event
- Emergency descent initiated during enroute
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,800 hours in all; 80 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 18, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 19,991.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 7, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 -K1A5 (piston); 2,140 hours total
- Operator: Paklook Air Inc
The flight
- Departed from: ANI Aniak AK at 11:40 pm
- Destination: BET Bethel AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from PAKI, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
12 documents, released by the NTSB on November 4, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report 21-049 | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Email | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Roc One Stop Aviation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Engine Examination Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Engine Pictures | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Page 1 of Work Order | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Lycoming Overhaul Manual | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Statement of Party Representative to NTSB Investigation (Paklook Air) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Statement of Party Representative to NTSB Investigation (Lycoming) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Accident Picture | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N4466T 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.