NTSB ANC82IA103 — 1982-09-30 · KENAI, Alaska, United States

N61366 has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (AIR TRACTOR INC AT-502B, built 1996), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N61366 Piper PA31-350 None

Factual narrative

THE COMMUTER FLIGHT DEPARTED KENAI, DESTINED FOR ANCHORAGE AK. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE ON APPROACH HE COULD NOT OBTAIN A POSITIVE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION ON THE NOSE GEAR. THE PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO KENAI AIRPORT DUE TO WEATHER AT ANCHORAGE. UPON LANDING THE NOSEWHEEL RETRACTED. EXAMINATION OF THE NOSE GEAR REVEALED THAT A STAINLESS STEEL FLEXIBLE LINE ENCLOSED IN A PROTECTIVE RUBBER CASING WAS CHAFED BY A BOLT IN THE NOSE GEAR SCISSORS ASSEMBLY. THE STAINLESS STEEL EXTERIOR MESH WAS RUSTED THROUGH AND GAVE NO SUPPORT TO THE INTERNAL PRESSURE LINE, THEREBY ALLOWING THE LINE TO BURST. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1982_ANC82IA103.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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