# Accident 19990719009299A: Piper PA12, Dillingham, AK, July 19, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 19, 1999, 09:20 local time - Place: Dillingham, AK - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 58.8192° N, 157.8590° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=58.8192&lon=-157.8590&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3780M, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3780M) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-12 (registry code 7101202, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-12) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA12 - Reported engine: LYC O320* - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 100 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC99LA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA093) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990719009299A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AT 2015Z, UPS6993 RELAYED INFORMATION FROM DOWNED AIRCRAFT. ONE PERSON ON BOARD, NO INJURIES. AT 2110Z ENA AFSS CALLED TO REPORT A SECOND AIRCRAFT OVERFLEW THE SITE AND REPORTED SEEING AN UPSIDE DOWN AIRCRAFT- LIGHT BROWN WITH DARK BROWN NOSE. N-NUMBER NOT VISIBLE. (FROM .19) ON JULY 19, 1999, ABOUT 0920 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A TUNDRA TIRE EQUIPPED PIPER PA-12 AIRPLANE, N3780M, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING ABOUT 28 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHWEST OF DILLINGHAM, ALASKA. THE SOLO COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AS A BUSINESS FLIGHT IN SUPPORT OF HIS CONSTRUCTION FIRM. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED TOGIAK, ALASKA, ABOUT 0900 FOR DILLINGHAM. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW ON JULY 20, THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN PARKED IN THE RAIN FOR TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, WITH THE FUEL TANKS ABOUT 1/3 FULL. HE SAID THAT HE DRAINED AND CHECKED THE FUEL FOR CONTAMINATION PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, WITH NO ANOMALIES NOTED. THE PILOT STATED THAT ABOUT 10 MILES FROM TOGIAK , THE ENGINE MOMENTARILY RAN ROUGH, SO HE ADJUSTED THE THROTTLE AND APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT, AND THE ENGINE SMOOTHED OUT. THEN 28 MILES FROM DILLINGHAM, WHILE ABOUT 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE ON TUNDRA, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. (-23) ON JULY 19, 1999, AT ABOUT 100PM ADT A WHEEL EQUIPPED PIPER PA-12 REGISTERED TO AND PILOTED BY STEVEN JOACHIM WAS INVOLVED IN A LANDING ACCIDENT NEAR TWIN HILLS, AK. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT AFTER TAKING OFF FROM TWIN HILLS THE ENGINE COUGHED ONCE AND LATER QUIT. THE LANDING ON THE TUNDRA RESULTED IN TEARING OFF THE LEFT AXLE AND NOSING OVER. (.4) THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, AND IN HIS NTSB PILOT/OPERATOR REPORT, THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN PARKED IN THE RAIN FOR TWO DAYS WITH THE FUEL TANKS ABOUT 1/3 FULL. ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, WHILE IN CRUISE AT 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE MOMENTARILY RAN ROUGH. HE SAID HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT, ADJUSTED THE THROTTLE, AND THE ENGINE SMOOTHED OUT. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE ON TUNDRA, AND IT NOSED OVER. THE PILOT TOLD THE IIC THAT HE SUSPECTED WATER CONTAMINATION IN THE FUEL. ## 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 ANC99LA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA093), Jul 19, 1999: Piper PA-12 (N3780M), Dillingham, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The inadequate preflight by the pilot, which failed to detect water contamination of the airplane's fuel. 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.