Piper PA-46-350P incident near Tacoma, Washington, June 2, 2005
On June 2, 2005 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-350P, registered N27PG, suffered minor damage in an incident near Tacoma, Washington. It was flown under rules the NTSB did not record. No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The initiation and propagation of a fatigue crack, over 5,273 hours of cyclic in-flight usage, through approximately 80 percent of the aircraft's right wing spar lower cap.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 2005 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tacoma, Washington · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-350P · all PA-46-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- N27PG · no longer on the register · serial 4622104
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · rules the NTSB did not record
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an annual inspection, a crack was found in the lower wing spar cap of the subject aircraft. That discovery was reported via email to the NTSB's Northwest Regional Office. It was later determined that a fatigue crack had initiated at a rivet hole on the horizontal surface of the right wing lower spar cap, and propagated through approximately 80 percent of that surface. The NTSB materials laboratory determined that there was no evidence of inclusions, discontinuities, corrosion pitting, or material defects at the crack origins. All dimensional measurements were within engineering drawing specifications, and hardness and conductivity parameters for the aluminum alloy specified for the wing spar cap material were within material tolerances. During the investigation it was determined that at the time the crack was detected, the aircraft had flown 5,273 hours. Of that total time, approximately 1,100 hours were flown as part of a low-level pipeline patrol mission. It was further determined that as part of the certification process, Piper Aircraft had determined that the "general use" safe time in service (TIS), adjusted with a scatter pattern of eight, was 10,723 hours for the wing structure. The certification process did not include determination of a safe time in service when any portion of the aircraft's life included being used in a "pipeline survey" mission profile. The investigation also determined that the two rivet holes through which the crack passed (one of which was the point of origin) were the locations where two of the rivets that held the lower wing skin on in an area addressed by Piper Service Bulletin 796B, Part One. This service bulletin was published by Piper to address "loose and working rivets along the lower spar cap." In part, the bulletin states, "If this condition exists, and is left uncorrected over an extended period of time, the structural integrity of the wing could be compromised." The actions delineated in this service bulletin had not been performed on this aircraft (N27PG) even though loose and working (smoking) rivets were found at the subject location on the lower skins of both wings.
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
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,273 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A (piston); 0 hours total
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.