# NTSB ANC04LA120: Piper PA-12, N4409M, Nenana, AK, September 25, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 25, 2004, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC) - Place: Nenana, AK - Coordinates: 64.650001, -149.166671 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=64.6500&lon=-149.1667&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 7, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA Fairbanks, FSDO-01 - NTSB case key (mKey): 60274 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC04LA120 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/60274/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC04LA120 ## Probable cause The loss of engine power during takeoff-initial climb for an undetermined reason, which resulted in an emergency descent and hard landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, takeoff - initial climb - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) - Forced landing, emergency landing after takeoff - Hard landing, emergency landing after takeoff - terrain condition - water ## Analysis The commercial pilot was taking off from a lake in the float-equipped airplane when the engine lost power for an undetermined reason. The airplane descended rapidly and landed hard on the water, sustaining structural damage to the fuselage. Postaccident inspection of the engine disclosed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction. ## Factual narrative On September 25, 2004, about 1400 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped Piper PA-12 airplane, N4409M, sustained substantial damage during a hard water landing, following a loss of engine power during initial climb after takeoff from a lake, about 10 miles north of Nenana, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on October 24, the pilot said he had just lifted off the lake and started to climb, when the engine lost power and the airplane descended rapidly, landing hard on the water. The pilot said he did not know why the airplane lost engine power, and that there were no known mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident. The airplane was recovered to Fairbanks, Alaska, via helicopter. During a telephone conversation with the NTSB IIC on October 5, the FAA aviation safety inspector who inspected the airplane at Fairbanks, said the lower fuselage longerons were bent, and major airframe tubing repairs were needed. During a telephone conversation with the NTSB IIC on January 25, 2005, the mechanic who was repairing the airplane said the engine was running fine, and he was unable to find any mechanical cause for the loss of power. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4409M](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4409M), registered now, S/N 12-3361, built 1947 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-12 - Registry model: [Piper PA-12](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-12) (registry code 7101202) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 12-3361 - Airframe hours: 2698 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-B3B 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Don Button - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 1, 2004, 30 hours before - Departed: Nenana, AK - Destination: FAI, Fairbanks, AK ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 70; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: front; flight hours: 1,506 total, 800 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 180° at 10 knots - Visibility: 50 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 39 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20040925024209A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040925024209A), Sep 25, 2004: Piper PA12, Fairbanks, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) [privacy data omitted] on September 25, 2004 this PA-12 on floats, N4409M, departed cod lake then shortly after lost power causing the pilot to perform a… ## Other investigations on N4409M (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ANC66D0035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC66D0035), Sep 23, 1965: Piper PA-12 (N4409M), Fairbanks, AK, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.