20021201033079A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper J5A · Soldotna, AK · December 1, 2002

Date: December 1, 2002 · 13:00 local
Place: Soldotna, AK
Airport: Soldotna
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N270JS
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC03LA016
Reported as: Piper J5A

N270JSRegistered now · Piper J5AS/N 5-18 · Built 1940 Airframe modelPiper J5A Engine modelLycoming 0-290 series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) This accident involved a wheel equipped Piper J-5A airplane flown by a commercially rated pilot. Prior to flight, the pilot added about seven gallons of fuel to the fuel tanks. Sumped both of the wing tanks and the fuel system gascolator. Some water was obtained from the wing tanks, pilot continued to drain fuel until there was no water. No water was obtained from the gascolator. The pilot departed from runway 7 at the Soldotna Airport. At an altitude of about 200 feet the engine "coughed", the pilot applied carburetor heat and adjusted the mixture. The engine momentarily started to run normally, but then stopped. Pilot was already in a left turn, so the pilot continued the turn in order to return to the runway that he had just departed from. Upon landing, the left main landing gear contacted the runway hard causing the left main landing to collapse. When the left main landing collapsed the left wing tip and one propeller blade struck the runway.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THIS ACCIDENT INVOLVED A WHEEL EQUIPPED PIPER J-5A AIRPLANE FLOWN BY A COMMERCIALLY RATED PILOT. PRIOR TO FLIGHT, THE PILOT ADDED ABOUT SEVEN GALLONS OF FUEL TO THE FUEL TANKS. SUMPED BOTH OF THE WING TANKS AND THE FUEL SYSTEM GASCOLATOR. SOME WATER WAS OBTAINED FROM THE WING TANKS, PILOT CONTINUED TO DRAIN FUEL UNTIL THERE WAS NO WATER. NO WATER WAS OBTAINED FROM THE GASCOLATOR. THE PILOT DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 7 AT THE SOLDOTNA AIRPORT. AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 200 FEET THE ENGINE "COUGHED", THE PILOT APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT AND ADJUSTED THE MIXTURE. THE ENGINE MOMENTARILY STARTED TO RUN NORMALLY, BUT THEN STOPPED. PILOT WAS ALREADY IN A LEFT TURN, SO THE PILOT CONTINUED THE TURN IN ORDER TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY THAT HE HAD JUST DEPARTED FROM. UPON LANDING, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR CONTACTED THE RUNWAY HARD CAUSING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING TO COLLAPSE. WHEN THE LEFT MAIN LANDING COLLAPSED THE LEFT WING TIP AND ONE PROPELLER BLADE STRUCK THE RUNWAY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC03LA016Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSoldotna, AKThe pilot's failure to remove all water from the airplane's fuel supply during the preflight inspection, which resulted in a loss of engine power and subsequent hard landing.Dec 1, 2002 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N270JS · 1

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

Accident 20050220006409AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Kenai, AK(-23) Pilot did a precautionary landing due to high oil pressure indication. During touchdown on an isolated road, the a/c rt ski or wing-tip struck a snow berm spinning the a/c around and causing substantial damage to the rt wing and fuselage.Feb 20, 2005 · Substantial damage