Piper PA-32 accident near Skagway, Alaska, July 4, 1997
On July 4, 1997 at about 1:30 am local time, a Piper PA-32, registered N15199, was destroyed in an accident near Skagway, Alaska (Skagway airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 4 people were killed and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
jamming/failure of the left magneto impulse coupling, which stopped rotation of the magneto gear, and resulted in subsequent shearing of the accessory intermediate idler gear. Factors relating to the accident were: the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing, which necessitated ditching of the aircraft; the passenger's lack of awareness concerning access to life vests, due to the pilot's inadequate briefing and the seat covers being installed over pouches that held the life vests; insufficient company standards/procedures regarding access to life vests.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 1997 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Skagway, Alaska · Skagway · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32 · all PA-32s on the register
- Registration
- N15199 · no longer on the register · serial 32-7340021
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft (acft) was on an air taxi/sightseeing flight (flt), which was an optional tour to a cruise liner trip. After viewing glaciers, flt was returning to land. Approach to airport (arpt) was along inlet shore, which had steep mountains descending to the water & infrequent areas of small beach. About 1,200' above water & 1-1/2 mi from arpt, engine lost power. Acft was ditched about 100' from shore near small cliffs. Passengers (pax) exited 1st into 39 deg water, but none exited with life vests. Plt threw one life vest out & exited as acft sank. With help from her husband, a pax donned the life vest that was thrown out; she partially inflated it using oral inflation tube, although it had CO2 cylinder for rapid inflation. Rescue helicopter arrived in about 10 min. Pax with life vest & plt were rescued; 2 pax drowned; other 2 pax were not found. Surviving pax did not recall briefing about location or use of life vests. Life vests were stored in seat-back pouches, but pouch openings were covered by slip-cover type seat covers. Exam of engine revealed left magneto impulse coupling had failed, stopping rotation of magneto drive gear. Several gear teeth on intermediate idler gear were damaged, disconnecting crankshaft from accessory gear train.
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 single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,815 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 189 in the last 90 days; 106 in the last 30 days; 507 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,689 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 26, 1997; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HNS Haines AK at 7:40 pm
- Destination: SGY
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 073° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from SGY, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 | 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.