Aero Commander AC-500A accident near Ketchikan, Alaska, September 6, 1997
On September 6, 1997 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Aero Commander AC-500A, registered N543AN, was destroyed in an accident near Ketchikan, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The rupture of the right engine fuel supply line as a result of inadequate inspection by the pilot/mechanic, and the pilot's excessive pull up which resulted in exceeding the design stress limits of the airplane. Factors were the improper emergency procedures and failure to feather the propeller.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 1997 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ketchikan, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander AC-500A
- Registration
- N543AN · no longer on the register · serial 500A-908-17
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft had an in-flight breakup when the left wing and tail section separated. Postaccident inspection revealed a right engine main fuel supply line progressive rupture, only trace amounts of fuel in the fuel lines, and no rotational damage to the right engine. Preaccident, long term, fuel leak evidence surrounded the ruptured line. The right propeller was not feathered. The left wing D-tube rib at station 127 exhibited compressive buckling. Left wing fractures were upward, and horizontal stabilizer deformation was downward. During an actual loss of engine power in the airplane 17 months before this accident, the pilot had feathered the incorrect propeller. Both a mechanic, and an FAA safety counselor, who were familiar with the pilot, described him as able to be disoriented, and reliant on GPS for navigation. He had stated five months before the accident that he did not feel his instrument flying skills were proficient, and desired training. On the day of the accident, weather was visual meteorological conditions, with layered clouds above 2,200 feet mean sea level. The pilot stated to the FAA weather briefer that he wanted to make the flight under visual conditions. The flight route and altitude was unknown.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,577 hours in all; 81 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 2,577 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,679 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 10, 1997; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,250 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WRG Wrangell AK
- Destination: PAE Everett WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,300 ft; scat at 700 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KTN, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.