Piper PA-32-300 accident near Bethel, Alaska, August 24, 1997
On August 24, 1997 at about 10:32 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N4170R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bethel, Alaska (Bethel airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper selection of a fuel tank that did not contain fuel, which resulted in subsequent fuel starvation and loss of engine power. A factor relating to the accident was: the inability to reach 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
- August 24, 1997 · about 10:32 pm local time
- Place
- Bethel, Alaska · Bethel · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N4170R · no longer on the register · serial 32-40502
- 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
Operator personnel reported that shortly after takeoff, the engine began to lose power at an altitude of about 600 feet mean sea level, and that emergency procedures failed to restore engine power. The pilot turned back toward the departure airport, and selected an emergency landing area about 1 mile from the airport. The airplane touched down on soft tundra covered terrain and received damage to the landing gear, fuselage, and wings. An FAA airworthiness inspector examined the airplane at the accident site. The fuel selector was found positioned to the left wing tip fuel tank. The left tip tank did not contain any fuel. No fuel was found in the fuel line from the gascolator to the fuel pump. No fuel was found in the line from the fuel pump to the engine manifold. After recovery, the engine was started, and it developed full power with, and without, the fuel boast pump in the 'ON' position. During the engine run, the left tip tank was selected. The engine continued to run for 1.5 minutes before quitting.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 7,600 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Kusko Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: BET at 5:30 pm
- Destination: AQH Quinhagak AK
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from BET, 1 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.
Other NTSB records under N4170R the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.