20040914021979A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 140 · North Pole, AK · September 14, 2004

Date: September 14, 2004 · 18:00 local
Place: North Pole, AK
Airport: Private
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N1629V
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC04LA109
Reported as: Cessna 140
Reported engine: Continental C90*
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 140 total80 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days

N1629VRegistration cancelled Feb 25, 2012 · Cessna 140S/N 13801 · Built 1947 Airframe modelCessna 140 Engine modelContinental C85 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) privacy data omitted pilot/owner, sole occupant, stated he departed west from a Private strip approx .5 mile east of crash site. As aircraft climbed through tree top level engine coughed, began to run rough and then quit. Pilot considered trying to make a turn to align with a perpendicular road but did not have enough altitude to maneuver. Allowed aircraft to descend straight ahead. Aircraft impacted trees and came to rest inverted with right wing and empennage resting against Private dwelling. Pilot turned off electrical power, deactivated ELT, and exited aircraft. Pilot received minor cut/scrape to left hand. Pilot contacted property owner and informed Alaska state troopers. Dwelling was undamaged. Aircraft sustained major damage. Fuel was present in left and right tanks. Air temperature was 40 degrees f and visible moisture was present. Pilot stated that carburetor heat was not used.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PILOT/OWNER, SOLE OCCUPANT, STATED HE DEPARTED WEST FROM A PRIVATE STRIP APPROX .5 MILE EAST OF CRASH SITE. AS AIRCRAFT CLIMBED THROUGH TREE TOP LEVEL ENGINE COUGHED, BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND THEN QUIT. PILOT CONSIDERED TRYING TO MAKE A TURN TO ALIGN WITH A PERPENDICULAR ROAD BUT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH ALTITUDE TO MANEUVER. ALLOWED AIRCRAFT TO DESCEND STRAIGHT AHEAD. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES AND CAME TO REST INVERTED WITH RIGHT WING AND EMPENNAGE RESTING AGAINST PRIVATE DWELLING. PILOT TURNED OFF ELECTRICAL POWER, DEACTIVATED ELT, AND EXITED AIRCRAFT. PILOT RECEIVED MINOR CUT/SCRAPE TO LEFT HAND. PILOT CONTACTED PROPERTY OWNER AND INFORMED ALASKA STATE TROOPERS. DWELLING WAS UNDAMAGED. AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE. FUEL WAS PRESENT IN LEFT AND RIGHT TANKS. AIR TEMPERATURE WAS 40 DEGREES F AND VISIBLE MOISTURE WAS PRESENT. PILOT STATED THAT CARBURETOR HEAT WAS NOT USED.

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 ANC04LA109Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportNorth Pole, AKThe pilot's failure to use carburetor heat during takeoff/initial climb, which resulted in a total loss of engine power, and an in-flight collision with trees.Sep 15, 2004 · Substantial damage