What happened
On 19 January 1998, a Piper PA-34 Seneca, registration N32625, was involved in an accident at Guernsey Airport in the Channel Islands. Prior to the event, the aircraft had been stationed at Alderney airport, where it was parked outdoors in an environment characterized by salt-laden air.
The investigation
The AAIB examined information provided via an aircraft accident report from the pilot and an engineering report from an aircraft maintenance organisation. The investigation established that the owner had been previously alerted to the potential for corrosion issues due to the aircraft's exposure to the maritime atmosphere.
Records indicated that both the owner and the maintenance company had been in communication regarding the necessity of implementing a more frequent maintenance schedule to combat corrosion. This discussion followed the aircraft's last annual maintenance check, which had been completed in August 1997. However, the accident took place before any agreement had been reached to implement these additional, more frequent maintenance intervals.