Piper PA-31 Cheyenne crash, Jul 29, 2016 (4 killed), McKi...
Piper PA-31 Cheyenne accident on July 29, 2016 near McKinleyville, California, United States with 4 fatalities. Cause: NTSB: an electrical wire near...
- Date: July 29, 2016
- Aircraft: Piper PA-31 Cheyenne
- Location: McKinleyville, California, United States
- Fatalities: 4
- Phase of flight: En route
- Cause: NTSB: an electrical wire near the main bus tie circuit breakers chafed against a hydraulic line or airplane structure, causing arcing and an in flight fire fed by hydraulic fluid, which led to an inflight breakup.
On 29 July 2016 a Piper PA 31T Cheyenne II air ambulance (N661TC) left Crescent City for Oakland with a pilot and three passengers. About 13 minutes after takeoff the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit, turned back and lost power, and the airplane broke up in flight over brush and forested terrain, killing all four occupants. The NTSB (docket WPR16FA153) found thermal damage and arcing consistent with an in flight fire, and the wreckage was found about nine hours later.