What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Accident occurred on may 31st, 2015 at approximately 8PM. The student pilot/pic had planned a goose bay, talkeetna, and Skwentna, Alaska solo cross-country flight. PIC had planned to practice approaches, turns around a point and similar maneuvers. PIC said the accident occurred as he was "dragging the runway" at a friends Cabin that is located at 61.791489N, 150.93634W or about 3 NM nnw of alexander lake, Alaska. Alexander lake is approximately 15NM se of the Skwentna airport.
The PIC stated he had intended to land at talkeetna but there had been an accident there and he diverted because of this. PIC stated his intent was to drag the runway at his friends Cabin because he "wasn't legal to land there" by his CFI.
He had planned a low approach to the north with a slight quartering crosswind (he EST. Approx 5 knots). As he approached the runway, coming in over the trees and descending through an estimated 200' he had "1 notch" of flaps extended, the mixture was slightly leaned with carburetor heat on/hot.
The PIC stated the aircraft "sunk hard"--he added power--perhaps too fast by his own admission, and he believes this is what caused the engine to lose power.
The PIC is also a certificated mechanic and had done much of the maintenance on the aircraft. There's an airworthiness directive for this aircraft/engine equipped with schebler carburetor model MA-4-SPA (#73-09-06) "to prevent power interruption and acceleration hangup resulting from abrupt throttle movement". There's a required placard that states "do not open throttle rapidly -- (idle to full throttle, 2 seconds minimum".
The pic's theory for the mishap was that he waited too long to apply power and then applied power too fast and this is what had caused the engine to lose power and him to eventually impact the ground.
PIC stated that with the throttle full in the engine will die and the only way to get the engine back is to back the throttle off to approximately 50% and wait. The PIC also stated that this had occurred before but never this low to the ground.
The PIC stated the aircraft came down hard, left tracks for about 25', bounced back into the air and over a dirt pile. The left wing hit a birch tree and caused the aircraft to spin around 180 deg. Before it came to a stop which the PIC thought seriously side loaded the landing gear. The PIC stated he was not injured except for a sore back. After he came to a stop he shut power off, and then shut the ELT off to avoid an unnecessary rescue coordination center response.
As the FAA filed it
ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON MAY 31ST, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 8PM. THE STUDENT PILOT/PIC HAD PLANNED A GOOSE BAY, TALKEETNA, AND SKWENTNA, ALASKA SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT. PIC HAD PLANNED TO PRACTICE APPROACHES, TURNS AROUND A POINT AND SIMILAR MANEUVERS. PIC SAID THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AS HE WAS "DRAGGING THE RUNWAY" AT A FRIENDS CABIN THAT IS LOCATED AT 61.791489N, 150.93634W OR ABOUT 3 NM NNW OF ALEXANDER LAKE, ALASKA. ALEXANDER LAKE IS APPROXIMATELY 15NM SE OF THE SKWENTNA AIRPORT.
THE PIC STATED HE HAD INTENDED TO LAND AT TALKEETNA BUT THERE HAD BEEN AN ACCIDENT THERE AND HE DIVERTED BECAUSE OF THIS. PIC STATED HIS INTENT WAS TO DRAG THE RUNWAY AT HIS FRIENDS CABIN BECAUSE HE "WASN'T LEGAL TO LAND THERE" BY HIS CFI.
HE HAD PLANNED A LOW APPROACH TO THE NORTH WITH A SLIGHT QUARTERING CROSSWIND (HE EST. APPROX 5 KNOTS). AS HE APPROACHED THE RUNWAY, COMING IN OVER THE TREES AND DESCENDING THROUGH AN ESTIMATED 200' HE HAD "1 NOTCH" OF FLAPS EXTENDED, THE MIXTURE WAS SLIGHTLY LEANED WITH CARBURETOR HEAT ON/HOT.
THE PIC STATED THE AIRCRAFT "SUNK HARD"--HE ADDED POWER--PERHAPS TOO FAST BY HIS OWN ADMISSION, AND HE BELIEVES THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER.
THE PIC IS ALSO A CERTIFICATED MECHANIC AND HAD DONE MUCH OF THE MAINTENANCE ON THE AIRCRAFT. THERE'S AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE FOR THIS AIRCRAFT/ENGINE EQUIPPED WITH SCHEBLER CARBURETOR MODEL MA-4-SPA (#73-09-06) "TO PREVENT POWER INTERRUPTION AND ACCELERATION HANGUP RESULTING FROM ABRUPT THROTTLE MOVEMENT". THERE'S A REQUIRED PLACARD THAT STATES "DO NOT OPEN THROTTLE RAPIDLY -- (IDLE TO FULL THROTTLE, 2 SECONDS MINIMUM".
THE PIC'S THEORY FOR THE MISHAP WAS THAT HE WAITED TOO LONG TO APPLY POWER AND THEN APPLIED POWER TOO FAST AND THIS IS WHAT HAD CAUSED THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER AND HIM TO EVENTUALLY IMPACT THE GROUND.
PIC STATED THAT WITH THE THROTTLE FULL IN THE ENGINE WILL DIE AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE ENGINE BACK IS TO BACK THE THROTTLE OFF TO APPROXIMATELY 50% AND WAIT. THE PIC ALSO STATED THAT THIS HAD OCCURRED BEFORE BUT NEVER THIS LOW TO THE GROUND.
THE PIC STATED THE AIRCRAFT CAME DOWN HARD, LEFT TRACKS FOR ABOUT 25', BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR AND OVER A DIRT PILE. THE LEFT WING HIT A BIRCH TREE AND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SPIN AROUND 180 DEG. BEFORE IT CAME TO A STOP WHICH THE PIC THOUGHT SERIOUSLY SIDE LOADED THE LANDING GEAR. THE PIC STATED HE WAS NOT INJURED EXCEPT FOR A SORE BACK. AFTER HE CAME TO A STOP HE SHUT POWER OFF, AND THEN SHUT THE ELT OFF TO AVOID AN UNNECESSARY RESCUE COORDINATION CENTER RESPONSE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N2828P · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.