20130609009889I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-18 · Matanuska Susit, AK · June 9, 2013

Date: June 9, 2013 · 16:15 local
Place: Matanuska Susit, AK
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N7171D
Reported as: Piper PA-18
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,600 total150 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N7171DRegistered now · Piper PA-18S/N 18-5629 · Built 1957 Airframe modelPiper PA-18 Engine modelContinental C90 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.

Pilot stated that the aircraft had approximately 5 gallons in the left wing and 13 gallons in the right wing on preflight in big lake Alaska. Pilot took off from big lake enroute to papoose lake with left wing tank selected. While setting up for approach the engine sputtered due to left wing being depleted of fuel and pilot began procedures to select right wing tank . Before the pilot was able to finish switching tanks the engine quit. After switching tanks, the pilot states that he attempted three times to engage the starter but the engine did not turn over. Upon arrival at the maintenance hangar in big lake, the mechanic stated that the operation of the starter was not in question, as he was able to start the aircraft and run the engine with no issues.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD APPROXIMATELY 5 GALLONS IN THE LEFT WING AND 13 GALLONS IN THE RIGHT WING ON PREFLIGHT IN BIG LAKE ALASKA. PILOT TOOK OFF FROM BIG LAKE ENROUTE TO PAPOOSE LAKE WITH LEFT WING TANK SELECTED. WHILE SETTING UP FOR APPROACH THE ENGINE SPUTTERED DUE TO LEFT WING BEING DEPLETED OF FUEL AND PILOT BEGAN PROCEDURES TO SELECT RIGHT WING TANK . BEFORE THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO FINISH SWITCHING TANKS THE ENGINE QUIT. AFTER SWITCHING TANKS, THE PILOT STATES THAT HE ATTEMPTED THREE TIMES TO ENGAGE THE STARTER BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT TURN OVER. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE MAINTENANCE HANGAR IN BIG LAKE, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE OPERATION OF THE STARTER WAS NOT IN QUESTION, AS HE WAS ABLE TO START THE AIRCRAFT AND RUN THE ENGINE WITH NO ISSUES.