20030504017749A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Ava, NY · May 4, 2003

Date: May 4, 2003 · 10:40 local
Place: Ava, NY
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9834P
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC03LA098
Reported as: Piper PA18150
Reported engine: Lycoming O320A2B
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 450 total400 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days

N9834PRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-7609034 · Built 1976 Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150 Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

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) Aircraft lost power after takeoff approximately 150 feet AGL. Pilot maintained controlled flight of aircraft and landed into treed area short of an open field. Post crash examination of aircraft revealed significant contaminants present in fuel samples taken from right wing tank and gascolator bowl.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT LOST POWER AFTER TAKEOFF APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET AGL. PILOT MAINTAINED CONTROLLED FLIGHT OF AIRCRAFT AND LANDED INTO TREED AREA SHORT OF AN OPEN FIELD. POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF AIRCRAFT REVEALED SIGNIFICANT CONTAMINANTS PRESENT IN FUEL SAMPLES TAKEN FROM RIGHT WING TANK AND GASCOLATOR BOWL.

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 NYC03LA098Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAva, NYThe pilot's inadequate preflight which did not detect the contamination in the fuel, and subsequent power loss due to contaminated fuel while operating over unsuitable terrain.May 4, 2003 · Substantial damage