# Accident 19980426007679A: Piper PA18, St Petersburg, FL, April 26, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 26, 1998, 12:15 local time - Place: St Petersburg, FL - Airport: Albert Whitted Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 27.7701° N, 82.6300° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.7701&lon=-82.6300&mi=10 - Aircraft: N225NY, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N225NY-2009-04-22) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-18 (registry code 7101802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-290 series (registry code 41506, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-290-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA18 - Reported engine: LYC O320A3B - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,700 total, 1,300 in this make and model, 31 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98LA144](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA144) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980426007679A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. LOST POWER ON CLIMBOUT. DITCHED IN BAY. THROTTLE DISCONNECTED. (.4)ON APRIL 26, 1998, ABOUT 1215 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-18, N225NY, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL AND OPERATED BY ADVERTISING AIR FORCE, INC., CRASHED INTO THE TAMPA BAY, NEAR ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE ALBERT WHITTED AIRPORT, ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 BANNER TOW FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1212 FROM THE ALBERT WHITTED AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATED THAT BEFORE TAKEOFF, HE PERFORMED A STATIC RUN-UP OF THE ENGINE WHICH INCLUDED APPLYING CARBURETOR HEAT. HE NOTED AFTER REMOVING CARBURETOR HEAT, THAT THE HANDLE WAS "LOOSE." HE THEN INITIATED THE TAKEOFF AND DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, HE HEARD A LOUD "POPPING" SOUND FROM THE ENGINE AND THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER ACCOMPANIED BY BLACK SMOKE. HE CALLED "MAYDAY" AND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, THE AIRPLANE WAS INADVERTENTLY STALLED AND IMPACTED THE WATER NOSE AND LEFT WING LOW. HE FURTHE R STATED THAT AT FULL RATED POWER, THE MIXTURE HAD TO BE LEANED, AND THAT CONDITION HAD EXISTED FOR ABOUT 7 YEARS. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, HE HAD BEEN EMPLOYED THERE AS A PILOT ON AND OFF FOR THE PAST 8 YEARS. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND THE ENGINE FIREWALL WAS DAMAGED. THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE INSPECTED WITH NO EVIDENCE OF FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL AND FUEL LINES; 35 GALLONS DRAINED FROM THE FUEL TANKS. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED CRANKSHAFT, CAMSHAFT, AND VALVE TRAIN CONTINUITY. THE MAGNETOS WERE DETERMINED TO BE PROPERLY TIMED TO THE ENGINE AND WERE FOUND TO OPERATE NORMALLY. THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL CABLE WAS FOUND SEPARATED AT THE CONTROL LEVER AT THE AIRBOX ASSEMBLY, BUT THE ATTACH HARDWARE WAS IN PLACE. NO PORTION OF FAILED CABLE WAS FOUND IN THE HOLE OF THE ATTACH BOLT. THE CARBURETOR WAS REMOVED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. DISASSEMBLY OF THE CARBURETOR REVEALED THAT THE FLOAT LEVEL WAS TOO HIGH DUE TO THE WORN CONDITION OF BOTH THE HEAD OF THE FLOAT NEEDLE VALVE, AND THE ADJUSTMENT TAB OF THE FLOAT ASSEMBLY. EVIDENCE OF PREVIOUS FUEL LEAKAGE WAS NOTED FROM THE CARBURETOR BOWL VENT DUE TO CLEANING OF THE ACCUMULATED DEPOSITS UPSTREAM OF THE VENT OPENING IN THE THROAT AREA OF THE CARBURETOR. ADDITIONALLY, THE NOZZLE ASSEMBLY WHICH WAS CORRECT BY PART NUMBER, WAS BENCH TESTED AND FOUND TO BE OUT OF LIMITS (HIGH) IN TERMS OF FUEL FLOW. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE WORN CONDITION OF THE NOZZLE ASSEMBLY. A DATE STAMP ON THE FLOAT BRACKET FOR THE METAL FLOAT INDICATES THAT THE BRACKET WAS MANUFACTURED BY JULY 1984. ACCORDING TO THE CARBURETOR MANUFACTURER, IT WAS MANUFACTURED ON SEPTEMBER 24, 1962, WITH NO RECORD OF IT EVER BEING SENT TO THE MANUFACTURERS FACILITY FOR OVERHAUL. AT MANUFACTURER, A COMPOSITE TYPE FLOAT WAS INSTALLED. IN APRIL 1984, THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN WHICH SPECIFIED CHANGING THE COMPOSITE FLOAT TO A METAL TYPE FLOAT. REVIEW OF THE PROVIDED AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED NO RECORD OF THE INSTALLED CARBURETOR BEING OVERHAULED. THE RECORDS INDICATE THAT ON JULY 29, 1997, A ONE-PIECE VENTURI WAS INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE (AD 93-18-03). THE RECORDS ALSO INDICAT THAT ON APRIL 18, 1998, THE AIRBOX SHAFT BUSHINGS WERE REPAIRED WITH CLAMPS. THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS ALSO INDICATE THE ACCIDENT CARBURETOR WAS INSTALLED ON THE ENGINE ON JUNE 3, 1996, AND HAD ACCUMULATED 1,246 HOURS SINCE INSTALLATION IN 1996, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (-23) SEE NARRATIVE #MIA98LA144 ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA98LA144](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA144), Apr 26, 1998: Piper PA-18 (N225NY), St. Petersburg, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The intentional operation of the airplane by the pilot and the company/operator with the known deficiencies in equipment (worn carburetor). Also, the poor preflight planning by the pilot for his… ## Other reports on N225NY (4) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19891021057969I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19891021057969I), Oct 21, 1989: Piper PA18 (N225NY), St Petersburg, FL. While towing banner front of banner broke off. Second time in two days. - [Incident 19891020057959I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19891020057959I), Oct 20, 1989: Piper PA18 (N225NY), St Petersburg, FL. While towing banner front of banner broke off. - [Incident 19870529034529I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870529034529I), May 29, 1987: Piper PA18 (N225NY), St. Petersburg, FL. During turn for spacing in the traffic pattern the banner broke. - [Accident 19820713028679A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19820713028679A), Jul 13, 1982: Piper PA18 (N225NY), St Petersburg, FL, Substantial damage. Crash occurred during emergency landing after oil leak on engine exhaust system. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.