Piper PA-46-500TP accident near Rangeley, Maine, September 12, 2005
On September 12, 2005 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-500TP, registered N747AW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rangeley, Maine. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A malfunction of the yaw damper system due to fluid contamination. Factors in the accident were the air condition exhaust vent design and the design stress limits of the airplane were exceeded.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 2005 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Rangeley, Maine · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-500TP · all PA-46-500TPs on the register
- Registration
- N747AW · registry record · serial 4697017
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
With the autopilot engaged, and while climbing through approximately 5,000 feet msl, the pilot moved the heading bug 30 degrees to the right. The airplane then "sort of snapped with significant yaw," into a 60-degree right bank and lost about 1,800 feet of altitude. After recovering, the pilot continued to his destination. Examination of the airplane revealed that it was substantially damaged. Approximately five months prior to the accident, the autopilot system had been installed. Following the installation, the pilot experienced operational problems that included a "yaw problem" which began to worsen, but could not be duplicated by maintenance personnel. A postaccident examination of the autopilot and heading system also revealed no anomalies. Examination of the aft fuselage and tailcone revealed that the yaw damper was contaminated with oil. The source of the oil was an oil streak that ran from under the engine cowling aft along the belly of the airplane, and then up through the air conditioning exhaust vent. Two other airplanes which experienced yaw damper events were also examined, and oil contamination of the yaw damper amplifiers were identified.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,328 hours in all; 225 in this make and model; 1,328 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,227.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2005; 169.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,850 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8B0 Rangeley ME at 1:15 pm
- Destination: ABE Allentown PA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 pm from BML, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N747AW 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.