Piper PA-31-350 accident near Nome, Alaska, February 6, 1998
On February 6, 1998 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N7678L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nome, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's poor in-flight planning/decision which led to fuel exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 1998 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Nome, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N7678L · no longer on the register · serial 31-7305005
- 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 flight was nearing its destination with nine passengers aboard when the pilot declared an emergency due to impending fuel exhaustion. The pilot reported both engines stopped as he approached the coastline of the Bering Sea near Nome, Alaska. He was able to glide the airplane to shore, and landed wheels-up on the ice and snow covered terrain. Postaccident inspection of the airplane disclosed no preexisting mechanical abnormalities with the airplane. Fuel was drained from the wing fuel tanks, and yielded a total of approximately 5 ounces. He wrote in his report to the NTSB that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane, and that he noticed the airplane was very low on fuel. He became concerned about reaching Nome, where he had intended to refuel prior to proceeding to St. Michael. The airplane's Hobb's meter indicated 4.2 hours had elapsed from the beginning of the flight until fuel exhaustion. The pilot said he thought he had 4.5 hours of fuel aboard when he started the flight.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,400 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 260 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 3,300 as pilot in command; 900 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,438 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 24, 1998; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TSIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GAM Gambell AK at 6:55 pm
- Destination: OME
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 15,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:10 pm from OME, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 9 |
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.