Piper NAVAJO PA-31-350 incident near Kenai, Alaska, December 5, 1985
On December 5, 1985 at about 4:58 pm local time, a Piper NAVAJO PA-31-350, registered N492SC, suffered minor damage in an incident near Kenai, Alaska (Kenai airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 5, 1985 · about 4:58 pm local time
- Place
- Kenai, Alaska · Kenai · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper NAVAJO PA-31-350 NAVAJO PA-
- Registration
- N492SC · registry record · serial 31-7552108
- Damage
- Minor 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 PILOT IN COMMAND COULD NOT RAISE THE LANDING GEAR PROPERLY AFTER DEPARTURE. HE DIVERTED TO KENAI, ALASKA, WHEREUPON EXTENDING THE GEAR HE OBTAINED THREE SAFE GEAR INDICATIONS. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE AND UPON ROLL OUT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. METALURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR LANDING GEARLINK ASSEMBLY, PN 40279, REVEALED FATIGUE CRACKS IN THE INSIDE RADIUS OF THE FILLET IN THE CLEVIS END.
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: 3,678 hours in all; 796 in this make and model; 316 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,396 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 29, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 7,200 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: South Central Air, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: HOM Homer AK at 4:15 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 1, 7,600 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 90 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 3:58 pm from ENA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.
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.