# Accident 20080411833359A: Piper J5A, Big Lake, AK, April 11, 2008

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 11, 2008, 20:00 local time
- Place: Big Lake, AK
- Airport: Big Lake
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 61.5347° N, 149.8125° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BIG LAKE (BGQ), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.5347&lon=-149.8125&mi=10
- Aircraft: N38149, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N38149-2018-01-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper J5A (registry code 7100702, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j5a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER J5A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,786 total, 46 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080411833359A

## Narrative

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

(-23) THE PILOT SPENT 8 HOURS PREPARING THE AIRCRAFT FOR FLIGHT AS IT HAD NOT BEEN FLOWN FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR. HE DRAINED 1-2 GALLONS OF FUEL AFTER ROCKING AND TILTING THE PLANE TO RELEASE ANY TRAPPED WATER. ALL THE FUEL WAS CLEAN. HE TOPPED OFF THE TANKS AND DID HIGH SPEED TAXI RUNS TO CHECK THE ENGINE. HE STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS MAKING POWER. CREDIBLE OBSERVERS, HOWEVER, STATED THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT SOUND GOOD AND THE PILOT ORIGINALLY TOLD AUTHORITIES THAT IT HAD BEEN RUNNING ROUGH. THE PILOT TOOK OFF AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER AT ABOUT 75 FEET AGL. HE THINKS THE PROPELLER STOPPED, BUT HE ISN'T CERTAIN. HE CRASHED INTO THE TREES HAVING DECIDED THAT WAS HIS BEST OPTION.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

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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