Piper PA-31-310 accident near Mccarthy, Alaska, July 18, 1994
On July 18, 1994 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-310, registered N6CC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mccarthy, Alaska (Mccarthy Nr 2 airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 5 people were seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT USE OF THE PARKING BRAKE DURING THE TAKEOFF AND NOT ABORTING THE TAKEOFF. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE AIRPLANE CHECKLIST.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1994 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Mccarthy, Alaska · Mccarthy Nr 2 · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-310 · all PA-31-310s on the register
- Registration
- N6CC · registry record · serial 31-543
- Damage
- Substantial 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 SAID THE ENGINE INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL, BUT THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS SLOW TO ACCELERATE DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT DID NOT CONSIDER ABORTING THE TAKEOFF. THE PASSENGERS ON BOARD THE PLANE CONCURRED WITH THE PILOT'S COMMENTS. THE PASSENGERS SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS AIRBORNE FOR ONLY A VERY SHORT TIME BEFORE IT COLLIDED WITH THE TERRAIN. THE POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRES HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO EXTENSIVE THERMAL DAMAGE AND THAT THE BRAKE PADS WERE GLAZED. THE PILOT BELIEVED THAT HE RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE AFTER COMPLETING THE ENGINE RUNUP. NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND WITH THE PLANE'S BRAKE SYSTEM.
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, 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: 3,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 2,900 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Gulkana Air Service
The flight
- Destination: ANC Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 19, 3,465 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; not recorded at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Observation at 2:30 pm from GKN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 | 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.
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.