Piper PA-31-350 accident near Nome, Alaska, August 14, 1993
On August 14, 1993 at about 3:50 am local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N6SF, was destroyed in an accident near Nome, Alaska. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO THE PILOT IN COMMANDS IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 1993 · about 3:50 am local time
- Place
- Nome, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N6SF · registry record · serial 31-7405204
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE BUSINESS FLIGHT DEPARTED LAVRENTLYA, RUSSIA WITH WHAT THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND ESTIMATED TO BE 50 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE AND LANDED IN PROVIDENIYA, RUSSIA AROUND 40 MINUTES LATER WITH ABOUT 30 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING. THE PLANE TOOK ON AN ADDITIONAL 30 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE NORMALLY DEPARTED PROVIDENIYA WITH 120 GALLONS OF FUEL BUT THAT THERE WAS NO ADDITIONAL FUEL AVAILABLE. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED PROVIDENIYA WITH WHAT THE PILOT ESTIMATED TO BE 1 HOUR AND 45 MINUTES OF FUEL ENDURANCE AND LANDED IN GAMBLE, ALASKA ON ST LAWRENCE ISLAND APPROXIMATELY 25 MINUTES LATER. THE PILOT DID NOT DIP STICK THE FUEL TANKS TO VERIFY THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE PILOT DID NOT CHECK ON THE AVAILABILITY OF FUEL IN GAMBLE. THE RIGHT AND LEFT ENGINES LOST POWER APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES AND 50 MINUTES, RESPECTIVELY AFTER DEPARTING GAMBLE. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT CARRY PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICES FOR THE PASSENGERS.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,943 hours in all; 317 in this make and model; 125 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 17,806 as pilot in command; 8,268 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,083 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 22, 1993; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Marc Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: Gamble AK at 10:00 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC93LA146.