# NTSB ANC06LA118: Piper PA-16, N5280H, Chugiak, AK, August 19, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 19, 2006, 10:15 local (18:15 UTC) - Place: Chugiak, AK - Coordinates: 61.424446, -149.407775 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.4244&lon=-149.4078&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor - Status: Completed, report May 29, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Anchorage FSDO-03 - NTSB case key (mKey): 64434 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC06LA118 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64434/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC06LA118 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to properly preflight the airplane and remove all water from the fuel system, which resulted in a loss of engine power during takeoff/initial climb, and subsequent loss of control. Factors associated with the accident are the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed to preclude a stall, and the inadvertent stall. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(partial) - nonmechanical, takeoff - initial climb - fluid,fuel - contamination,water (cause) - aircraft preflight - improper, pilot in command (cause) - Loss of control - in flight, maneuvering - turn to reverse direction - airspeed(vs) - not maintained, pilot in command (contributing factor) - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command (contributing factor) - In flight collision with object, descent - uncontrolled - object - tree(s) ## Analysis The private certificated pilot was on a visual flight rules, personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the float-equipped airplane lost engine power during initial climb after takeoff. The pilot made a 180 degree turn toward the departure lake, but the airplane stalled and impacted trees. The pilot said he had moored the airplane for a week in the rain with the fuel tanks three-quarters empty. The morning of the accident, he fueled both tanks with a mixture of aviation and auto fuel. He said the preflight and engine run-up were normal, and that he used carburetor heat when the engine was idling, but not during step-taxi or takeoff. He said as the airplane climbed over trees along the shore, the engine backfired twice, and quit completely. At the site, the NTSB investigator found 5-6 pieces of "chopped" wood, each piece was about 18 inches long, about 2 inches in diameter, and appeared to have been cut by the airplane's propeller sometime during the uncontrolled descent. The engine was not accessible, and was not examined. The airplane was disassembled by agents for the pilot and stored. The pilot reported that with the airplane on floats, the wings were in a more level attitude than when sitting on the tailwheel, and any water in the tanks was more likely to move away from the sumps. He added that his practice of standing on the front of the floats while taking the fuel samples probably moved any contaminants further from the sumps. The pilot reported that in his opinion, the loss of power was due to water contamination of the fuel as a result of leaving the tanks three-quarters empty during a rainy period, in conjunction with a flawed sumping procedure. ## Factual narrative On August 19, 2006, about 1015 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped, Piper PA-16 airplane, N5280H, sustained substantial damage when it collided with trees following a loss of engine power during initial climb after takeoff from Mirror Lake, about 3 miles northwest of Chugiak, 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 private certificated pilot received serious injuries, and the sole passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was bound for Katie Lake, near Talkeetna, Alaska. During an interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on September 5, the pilot said he'd moored the float-equipped airplane in a slip at the lake about a week before the accident. He reported that when he parked the airplane, both wing fuel tanks were about one-quarter full, and that the morning of the accident he fueled both tanks with a mixture of aviation fuel and auto fuel. He said there had been heavy rains at the lake the week before the accident. The pilot reported checking the fuselage and gascolator fuel drains for contaminants before the accident flight. He said on the day of the accident, the ceiling at the lake was about 3000 feet, and there was light rain and mist. He indicated the preflight and run-up were normal, and that he used carburetor heat when the engine was idling, but not during step-taxi or takeoff. He step-taxied the airplane to the opposite end of the lake, and reported that when he reduced engine power, the engine backfired. He said he step-taxied across the lake, and everything appeared normal, so he initiated a takeoff. He stated that the airplane lifted off the water at 50 miles per hour, and that the attitude and climb appeared normal, however he felt the airplane's engine was not producing as much power as usual. As the airplane climbed to about 150 feet above lake level, and over trees along the shore, he said the engine backfired twice, and quit completely. He started a turn toward the lake, but the airplane stalled, and descended into trees. An on-site inspection of the airplane on August 19, revealed the airplane standing vertically on its nose and floats in a heavily wooded area. The forward section of the floats were bent upward 90 degrees, parallel to the ground. Control continuity was established for all the flight control surfaces. The fuel selector was in the "on" position, and both wing fuel tanks contained fuel. The carburetor heat selector was in the "off" position, and the throttle control was in the full throttle position. The mixture control was in the full-rich position, the primer was in and locked. The magneto selector was in the "off" position, and the key had been removed. The fuselage and wings had structural damage. The engine was not accessible for examination at the accident site. At the site, the IIC located 5-6 pieces of "chopped" wood. Each piece was about 18 inches long, about 2 inches in diameter, and gave the appearance of having been cut with the airplane's propeller during the descent. The airplane was disassembled by friends of the pilot and stored. An automated weather observation taken at the Birchwood Airport at 1036, about 2 miles from the lake, reported few clouds at 3600 feet, few clouds at 4400 feet, and a broken layer of clouds at 7000 feet, a temperature of 52 degrees F, and a dew point of 45 degrees F. In a written statement to the NTSB, the pilot wrote that with the airplane on floats, the wings were in a more level attitude than when sitting on the tailwheel, and any water in the tanks was more likely to move away from the sumps. He added that his practice of standing on the front of the floats while taking the fuel samples probably moved any contaminants further from the sumps. He reported that in his opinion the loss of power was due to water contamination of the fuel as a result of leaving the tanks three-quarters empty during a rainy period, in conjunction with a flawed sumping procedure. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5280H](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5280H-2018-12-01), registration cancelled 2018-12-01, S/N 16-84 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-16 - Registry model: [Piper PA-16](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-16) (registry code 7101602) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-290 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-290-series) (registry code 41506, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 16-84 - Airframe hours: 3455 - Engines: Lycoming O-290-D2 135 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: James Hagee - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 1, 2006 - Departed: Mirror Lake, AK - Destination: Katie Lake, AK ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 60; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 1, 2006; seat: left; flight hours: 428 total, 290 in this make and model, 366 as pilot in command, 34 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 320° at 10 knots, gusting 16 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 7,000 ft broken - Temperature: 52 °F, dew point 45 °F - Altimeter: 29.70 inHg - Observed at: PABV, 2 nm away ## 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 20060819017899A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060819017899A), Aug 19, 2006: Piper PA16, Chugiak, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) A float equipped Piper PA-16 departed mirror lake airport one mile north of eagle river Alaska with the pilot [privacy data omitted], wife and family… ## Other investigations on N5280H (2) 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 ANC01LA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC01LA089), Jul 20, 2001: Piper PA-16 (N5280H), Anchorage, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: An inadvertent ground loop during the landing roll. - [NTSB ANC98LA068](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98LA068), Jun 9, 1998: Piper PA-16 (N5280H), Anchorage, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadvertent ground loop. 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.