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20110517009849A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-12 · Wasilla, AK · May 17, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 17, 2011 · 15:15 local
Place
Wasilla, AK
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7690H
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC11CA033
Reported as
Piper PA-12
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-235 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
5,700 total154 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days
N7690HRegistered now · Piper PA-12S/N 12-580 · Built 1946Airframe modelPiper PA-12Engine modelLycoming 0-235 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.

5/17/2011 N7690H departed small strip in Wasilla, AK. On a part 91 flight. During climb engine sputtered and quit. The aircraft landed and then overturned. One POB, no injuries. The aircraft laid up side down over night then was returned to owners hangar the following day. NTSB and FAA iic went to inspect the aircraft at the owners hangar on 5/19/2011. The fuel system was inspected at this time and no discrepancies noted. The spark plugs were removed and inspected and found dry and grey. The spark plugs were found to be in a condition consistent with fuel starvation. The NTSB is conducting the investigation and is waiting on an engine tear down report. Annual inspection signed off 16 may 2011. May 25 2011, during a telephone conversation between privacy data omitted and the FAA it was determined that the accident was caused by the fuel selector valve being in the off position during flight. privacy data omitted Confirmed that he did not ensure the selector valve was in the open position. The aircraft had just come out of annual and the selector valve had been rotated 180 degrees to off. privacy data omitted Said he did not notice the valve being off during pre flight.

As the FAA filed it

5/17/2011 N7690H DEPARTED SMALL STRIP IN WASILLA, AK. ON A PART 91 FLIGHT. DURING CLIMB ENGINE SPUTTERED AND QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AND THEN OVERTURNED. ONE POB, NO INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT LAID UP SIDE DOWN OVER NIGHT THEN WAS RETURNED TO OWNERS HANGAR THE FOLLOWING DAY. NTSB AND FAA IIC WENT TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT AT THE OWNERS HANGAR ON 5/19/2011. THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS INSPECTED AT THIS TIME AND NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. THE SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED AND INSPECTED AND FOUND DRY AND GREY. THE SPARK PLUGS WERE FOUND TO BE IN A CONDITION CONSISTENT WITH FUEL STARVATION. THE NTSB IS CONDUCTING THE INVESTIGATION AND IS WAITING ON AN ENGINE TEAR DOWN REPORT. ANNUAL INSPECTION SIGNED OFF 16 MAY 2011. MAY 25 2011, DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION BETWEEN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND THE FAA IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE BEING IN THE OFF POSITION DURING FLIGHT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONFIRMED THAT HE DID NOT ENSURE THE SELECTOR VALVE WAS IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST COME OUT OF ANNUAL AND THE SELECTOR VALVE HAD BEEN ROTATED 180 DEGREES TO OFF. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID HE DID NOT NOTICE THE VALVE BEING OFF DURING PRE FLIGHT.

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 ANC11CA033Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportWasilla, AKThe pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, resulting in a departure with the fuel selector in the "off" position, a subsequent loss of engine power, and an off-airport emergency landing.May 17, 2011 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7690H · 4

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

Accident 20180904013109ALanding: Rollout · Talkeetna, AKDuring landing roll out on a off airfield, gravel strip the pilot (sole occupant) lost control when attempting to counter the effects from an uneven landing surface with larger than anticipated rocks. The involved aircraft (N7690H) flipped over upside down…Sep 4, 2018 · DestroyedIncident 20171107018339ITaxi · Cordova, AKThe airman had landed the aircraft on a remote beach at low tide. The airman misjudged the speed of the incoming tide and needed to move the aircraft to higher ground. While taxing the aircraft along the beach, the aircraft's rt wheel got caught in soft sand…Nov 7, 2017 · Minor damageAccident 19940613015169ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Anchorage, AKToo much brakes on landing roll. Nosed over. Low time in type. Check pilot reported incident to fast to prevent.Jun 13, 1994 · Substantial damageAccident 19810630037449ATakeoff Ground Roll · Anchorage, AKTried to take off with under inflated tire. Tire went flat. Lost control. Ran off runway and overturned.Jun 30, 1981 · Substantial damage