# Accident 20000601010699A: Piper PA18A150, Austin, NV, June 1, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 1, 2000, 06:15 local time
- Place: Austin, NV
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.5394° N, 117.1906° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5394&lon=-117.1906&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4872A, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4872A) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-18A 150 (registry code 7101837, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18a-150) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA18A150
- Reported engine: LYC O320*
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 8,300 total, 1,300 in this make and model, 109 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00TA212](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00TA212) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000601010699A

## Narrative

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

(-23) AIRCRAFT IMPACTED GROUND DURING FLIGHT FOR NEVADA ANIMAL DAMAGE CONTROL PROGRAM. (.4) ON JUNE 1, 2000, AT 0615 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PA-18-150, N4872A, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING NEAR AUSTIN, NEVADA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A PUBLIC-USE FLIGHT BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, OFFICE OF WILDLIFE SERVICES, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE AUSTIN AIRPORT AT 0600. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND A VFR COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD BEEN MONITORING AN INCREASE IN THE FUEL BURN RATE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. HIS NORMAL LEANING PROCEDURE FOR BEST POWER OPERATING FROM 5,800 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL REQUIRED MORE MIXTURE CONTROL TRAVEL. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, IT WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE ENGINE HAD FAILED TO RESPOND TO THROTTLE INPUT. THE SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OCCURRED LOW TO THE TERRAIN. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE CARBURETOR REVEALED A BLACK COMPOSITE FLOA                                                               T THAT FELT HEAVIER THAN NORMAL. ONE PONTOON EXHIBITED LIGHT DAMAGE TO THE SMOOTH SHELL. THE ENGINE SPARK PLUGS WERE LIGHTLY FUEL SOOTED. ACCORDING TO PRECISION AIRMOTIVE CORPORATION "MANDATORY" SERVICE BULLETIN MSA-1 (REPLACEMENT OF COMPOSITE FLOATS WITH METAL FLOATS), THE TYPE CERTIFICATE HOLDER OF THE CARBURETOR, STATES THAT; "FIELD REPORTS INDICATE THAT COMPOSITE FLOATS MAY BE ABSORBING FLUID AND SINKING," REPLACE THE EXISTING COMPOSITE FLOAT WITH A METAL FLOAT. A SINKING FLOAT MAY RESULT IN DISRUPTION OF FUEL FLOW TO THE ENGINE, PRECISION AIRMOTIVE THEREFORE CONSIDERS THE REPLACEMENT OF COMPOSITE FLOATS WITH METAL FLOATS MANDATORY. COMPLIANCE IS OPTIONAL FOR 14 CFR PART 91 OPERATORS.

## 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 LAX00TA212](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00TA212), Jun 1, 2000: Piper PA-18-150 (N4872A), Austin, NV, substantial damage. Probable cause: Loss of engine power caused by a fuel soaked float pontoon causing an over rich fuel/air mixture, in a critical phase of flight.

## Other reports on N4872A (1)

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

- [Accident 19740815024679A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19740815024679A), Aug 15, 1974: Piper PA18A150 (N4872A), Lugoff, SC, Destroyed. Acft hit a guy wire.

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.

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