Piper PA-31-350 accident near Kenai, Alaska, December 23, 1987
On December 23, 1987 at about 10:11 am local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N496SC, was destroyed in an accident near Kenai, Alaska (Kenai Muni airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 6 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 1987 · about 10:11 am local time
- Place
- Kenai, Alaska · Kenai Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people were killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N496SC · no longer on the register · serial 31.7752077
- 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 PILOT HAD JUST DEPARTED THE RUNWAY WHEN HE REPORTED TO THE FLIGHT SERVICE STATION THAT HE HAD ENGINE PROBLEMS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES TO BE ABOUT 300 FT ON A DESCENDING DOWNWIND. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS CIRCLING FOR RUNWAY ONE. SURVIVING PASSENGERS DESCRIBED THE ENGINES AS RUNNING ROUGH AND UNEVEN. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S WEIGHT WAS MORE THAN THE PILOT HAD CALCULATED AND THE C.G. WAS 3.4 INCHES FURTHER AFT THAN WAS CALCULATED. HOWEVER, THE WEIGHT AND C.G. WERE WITHIN LIMITS.EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE DISCLOSED THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE HAD AN EXTENSIVE CYLINDER HEAD CRACK, A PARTIALLY DISCONNECTED INTAKE PIPE, AND WAS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 55% OF RATED POWER. THE LEFT ENGINE HAD SEVEN SEVERLY WORN CAM LOBES. THE RUDDER TRIM WAS DEFLECTED FULL LEFT AT IMPACT. THE EVIDENCEINDICATED THAT THE PILOT HAD RETARDED THE THROTTLE FOR THE LEFT ENGINE AND WAS USING ONLY THE RIGHT ENGINE TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT. EXAM OF COMPANY CHECKLIST USAGE REVEALED SEVERAL DIFFERENT IMPROPER VERSIONS.
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: 14,500 hours in all; 86 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days; 11,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, December 16, 1987; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: ANC Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 1, 7,600 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 020° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 am from ENA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 | 2 |
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.