# Accident 19980818030949A: Piper PA14, Birchwood, AK, August 18, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 18, 1998, 21:30 local time
- Place: Birchwood, AK
- Airport: Birchwood Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 61.4103° N, 149.1708° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.4103&lon=-149.1708&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4214H, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4214H) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-14 (registry code 7101402, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA14
- Reported engine: LYC O320A2B
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 333 total, 11 in this make and model, 2 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC98LA123](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98LA123) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980818030949A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4) THE PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED ON A LOCAL FLIGHT IN A TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE. HE REPORTED THAT HE HAD COMPLETED THREE, SOLO, TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS, AFTER WHICH A PASSENGER BOARDED THE AIRPLANE FOR A LOCAL AREA FLIGHT.  HE STATED THAT WHILE DEPARTING RUNWAY 19, ALL ENGINE POWER WAS LOST, AND THAT HE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY.  HE SAID THAT HE MADE A FORCED LANDING IN TREES BORDERING THE RUNWAY.  IN THE PILOT'S WRITTEN STATEMENT TO THE NTSB, HE REPORTED THAT WHEN THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED, THE RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK WAS FULL, AND THE LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK WAS ABOUT ONE-QUARTER FULL.  BOTH AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY,  AND NOT IN USE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.  THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENTIRE FLIGHT WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE ON THE RIGHT MAIN TANK.  A PILOT-RATED POLICE OFFICER THAT RESPONDED TO THE INITIAL ACCIDENT CALL, ARRIVED ON SCENE ABOUT 15 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT.  HE REPORTED THAT UPON HIS ARRIVAL, THE LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK WAS 'DRY', AND THE RIGHT FUEL TANK APPEARED TO BE FULL.  HE ADDED THAT THE MAIN FUEL SELECTOR VALVE HAD BEEN PLACED IN THE 'OFF' POSITION PRIOR TO HIS ARRIVAL.  THE POLICE OFFICER SAID THAT THE PILO T HAD CLOSED THE FUEL VALVE PRIOR TO EXITING THE AIRPLANE. (-23) ON AUGUST 18, 1998, ABOUT 2130 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-14, AIRCRAFT N4214H, OPERATING UNDER PART 91, CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 19, OF BIRCHWOOD AIRPORT, IN CHUGIAK, AK. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE DEPARTING, MIDWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY AT 600 FEET, THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN THE SMALL TREES BORDERING THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT AND THE ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT IS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.

## 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 ANC98LA123](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98LA123), Aug 19, 1998: Piper PA-14 (N4214H), Chugiak, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power for an undetermined reason.

## Other reports on N4214H (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20200830015409A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200830015409A), Aug 30, 2020: Piper PA-14 (N4214H), Wasilla, AK, Substantial damage. Witness on the ground near the accident site reported gusty winds from the southeast. Local winds at nearest muni-airport(approx. 8 miles west), 080@11KTG21KT.…
- [Accident 19760808029649A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19760808029649A), Aug 8, 1976: Piper PA14 (N4214H), Kruzoff Island, AK, Substantial damage. Float equipped.

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.