Piper PA-32-300 accident near Gustavus, Alaska, June 15, 1996
On June 15, 1996 at about 1:50 am local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N8956N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gustavus, Alaska. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to low fuel pressure from the engine driven fuel pump and subsequent fuel starvation. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 1996 · about 1:50 am local time
- Place
- Gustavus, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N8956N · no longer on the register · serial 32-40760
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was in cruise flight at 5,000 feet with the fuel selector positioned on the left main fuel tank that contained about 12 gallons of fuel. The pilot intended to deplete the fuel in the left main and then switch tanks. He noted a slight loss of fuel pressure and proceeded to switch the fuel selector to the right main tank that contained about 10 gallons. He also turned the electric fuel pump to the 'on' position. The fuel pressure went to zero and the engine quit. The pilot then selected the right auxiliary fuel tank but he could not restart the engine. During an emergency landing in a river bed, the right wing struck a small bank and the airplane received damage to the nose gear, propeller, right main landing gear, and the right wing. An examination of the engine revealed that upon activation of the electric fuel pump, it produced fuel to the engine driven pump. Hand rotation of the engine did not produce any fuel flow from the engine driven fuel pump. Further examination of the engine driven fuel pump on a test bench revealed that it did not meet the minimum fuel pressure as prescribed by the manufacturer and was very hard to prime.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,026 hours in all; 3,006 in this make and model; 94 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 4,819 as pilot in command; 1,152 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,238 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 10, 1996; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGY Skagway AK at 8:20 pm
- Destination: GST AK
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from GST, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.