What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot's total time in a PA18(accident aircraft) is 12 hours with no recent time in the aircraft. This flight was to regain currency in the PA18.
The pilot was well rested, he had been on vacation for a month prior to this flight. He had slept-in late and arrived at the aircraft at 2PM. He was not feeling rushed. He departed lake hood ski strip around 3:20PM and flew to willow lake. He made several touch and go landings on the lake and was returning to lake hood for parking. He was operating the aircraft on the right fuel tank. In the vicinity of point mackenzie the pilot switched from the right fuel tank to the left fuel tank. He was at 1200 feet mid channel when he started his decent for landing to lake hood. He was following a second aircraft and stated that he had a low power setting to allow additional space between him and the landing traffic. On short final the engine rolled back (the engine quit) 4:30PM. Total flight time was just over an hour at this point. The pilot did not have sufficient altitude or airspeed to land at lake hood. The pilot attempted to land on spenard road. The aircraft?s left wing hit a light pole and the aircraft hit slightly left side nose first. The pilot sustained a cut to his head and injury to his leg that required surgery. The left wing was pulled back by the impact and two of the fuel lines from the left tank disconnected and poured fuel out into the cockpit of the aircraft.
Investigation - both wing tanks had approximately 4 gallons of fuel. The PA18 fuel selector points at the off position and whatever tank is selected. The fuel selector knob has a large end on one side and a small arrow on the opposite end that shows what positions it is in. When the arrow points at either the left or right tank the large end of the selector points at off. It is possible that the pilot inadvertently selected the off position when attempting to select the left fuel tank. Given the low power setting the engine would have continued to run but it is unknown for how long. The pilot stated that after the engine quit running he moved the fuel selector to the right tank and moved the selector again after the accident to the off position. NTSB is looking into pulling the engine for further investigation. NTSB has a video of the accident from a hotel security camera. NTSB is looking into other possible causes for the engine to quit running. Inspection of engine found both throttle and mixture cables were still connected. The gascolator had clean fuel and was free of debris. We saw no blockages in the fuel system. The carburetor had a crack from the impact. It was clean, no blockages, debris or gummy substances found. Compression appeared good in all cylinders. No determination on why the engine quit at this time.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT'S TOTAL TIME IN A PA18(ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT) IS 12 HOURS WITH NO RECENT TIME IN THE AIRCRAFT. THIS FLIGHT WAS TO REGAIN CURRENCY IN THE PA18.
THE PILOT WAS WELL RESTED, HE HAD BEEN ON VACATION FOR A MONTH PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT. HE HAD SLEPT-IN LATE AND ARRIVED AT THE AIRCRAFT AT 2PM. HE WAS NOT FEELING RUSHED. HE DEPARTED LAKE HOOD SKI STRIP AROUND 3:20PM AND FLEW TO WILLOW LAKE. HE MADE SEVERAL TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS ON THE LAKE AND WAS RETURNING TO LAKE HOOD FOR PARKING. HE WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. IN THE VICINITY OF POINT MACKENZIE THE PILOT SWITCHED FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK. HE WAS AT 1200 FEET MID CHANNEL WHEN HE STARTED HIS DECENT FOR LANDING TO LAKE HOOD. HE WAS FOLLOWING A SECOND AIRCRAFT AND STATED THAT HE HAD A LOW POWER SETTING TO ALLOW ADDITIONAL SPACE BETWEEN HIM AND THE LANDING TRAFFIC. ON SHORT FINAL THE ENGINE ROLLED BACK (THE ENGINE QUIT) 4:30PM. TOTAL FLIGHT TIME WAS JUST OVER AN HOUR AT THIS POINT. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE OR AIRSPEED TO LAND AT LAKE HOOD. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON SPENARD ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT?S LEFT WING HIT A LIGHT POLE AND THE AIRCRAFT HIT SLIGHTLY LEFT SIDE NOSE FIRST. THE PILOT SUSTAINED A CUT TO HIS HEAD AND INJURY TO HIS LEG THAT REQUIRED SURGERY. THE LEFT WING WAS PULLED BACK BY THE IMPACT AND TWO OF THE FUEL LINES FROM THE LEFT TANK DISCONNECTED AND POURED FUEL OUT INTO THE COCKPIT OF THE AIRCRAFT.
INVESTIGATION - BOTH WING TANKS HAD APPROXIMATELY 4 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE PA18 FUEL SELECTOR POINTS AT THE OFF POSITION AND WHATEVER TANK IS SELECTED. THE FUEL SELECTOR KNOB HAS A LARGE END ON ONE SIDE AND A SMALL ARROW ON THE OPPOSITE END THAT SHOWS WHAT POSITIONS IT IS IN. WHEN THE ARROW POINTS AT EITHER THE LEFT OR RIGHT TANK THE LARGE END OF THE SELECTOR POINTS AT OFF. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY SELECTED THE OFF POSITION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SELECT THE LEFT FUEL TANK. GIVEN THE LOW POWER SETTING THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO RUN BUT IT IS UNKNOWN FOR HOW LONG. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING HE MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE RIGHT TANK AND MOVED THE SELECTOR AGAIN AFTER THE ACCIDENT TO THE OFF POSITION. NTSB IS LOOKING INTO PULLING THE ENGINE FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. NTSB HAS A VIDEO OF THE ACCIDENT FROM A HOTEL SECURITY CAMERA. NTSB IS LOOKING INTO OTHER POSSIBLE CAUSES FOR THE ENGINE TO QUIT RUNNING. INSPECTION OF ENGINE FOUND BOTH THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CABLES WERE STILL CONNECTED. THE GASCOLATOR HAD CLEAN FUEL AND WAS FREE OF DEBRIS. WE SAW NO BLOCKAGES IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE CARBURETOR HAD A CRACK FROM THE IMPACT. IT WAS CLEAN, NO BLOCKAGES, DEBRIS OR GUMMY SUBSTANCES FOUND. COMPRESSION APPEARED GOOD IN ALL CYLINDERS. NO DETERMINATION ON WHY THE ENGINE QUIT AT THIS TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.