# NTSB ANC06LA129: Piper J5A, N35395, North Pole, AK, August 30, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 29, 2006, 19:30 local (Aug 30, 2006, 03:30 UTC) - Place: North Pole, AK - Coordinates: 65.195831, -146.121383 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=65.1958&lon=-146.1214&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 29, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Fairbanks FSDO-01 - NTSB case key (mKey): 64464 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC06LA129 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64464/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC06LA129 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation during cruise flight, and an emergency landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - normal - in-flight planning/decision - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - fluid,fuel - starvation/exhaustion (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - Nose over, emergency landing - terrain condition - swampy ## Analysis The private pilot was conducting a VFR, personal local flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the airplane lost all engine power during cruise flight. The pilot stated that he performed a preflight inspection prior to the local flight, and there were no signs of fuel contamination. The left wing fuel tank was about one-quarter full, the right wing fuel tank was about three-quarters full, and he said the takeoff and flight were uneventful until the airplane lost engine power. The pilot said he had the left wing fuel tank selected, and was cruising about 2000 feet above ground level. He said he switched tanks, and turned the airplane toward the only open ground in the vicinity. The airplane's engine failed to restart, and an emergency landing was made in a marsh. The pilot said when the airplane touched down, it rolled about 30 feet before it nosed over. In a written statement, the pilot reported that the airplane was equipped with "U" tube type fuel level indicators in the wing roots. He wrote that he believed that trapped fuel in the indicators gave him a false indication of the fuel quantity in the tanks. The pilot said he felt the loss of engine power was due to fuel starvation. He also noted in the section, Recommendation (How Could This Accident Have Been Prevented): "timing in fuel management." The airplane was not examined by the NTSB. ## Factual narrative On August 29, 2006, about 1930 Alaska daylight time, a Piper J5A airplane, N35395, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during an emergency landing, following a complete loss of engine power in cruise flight, about 41 miles northeast of North Pole, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal local flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The private certificated pilot and sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Bradley Sky Ranch, North Pole, about 1840. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on September 13, the pilot stated that he performed a thorough preflight inspection of the airplane prior to the local flight. He said there were no signs of fuel contamination, and the left wing fuel tank was about one-quarter full, and the right wing fuel tank was about three-quarters full. He said the takeoff and flight were uneventful until the airplane lost engine power. The pilot said he had the left wing fuel tank selected, and was cruising about 2000 feet above ground level (agl) when the engine lost power. He stated that he switched tanks, and turned the airplane toward the only open ground in the vicinity. The airplane's engine failed to restart, and an emergency landing was made in a marsh, covered with tussock grass and 6 inches of water. The pilot said when the airplane touched down it rolled about 30 feet before it nosed over. The pilot felt that the engine had probably run out of fuel, and that what he observed in the fuel level sight tube was inaccurate. In a written statement to the NTSB, the pilot reported that the airplane was equipped with "U" tube type fuel level indicators in the wing roots. He said he believed that trapped fuel in the indicators gave him a false indication of the fuel quantity in the tanks, and reiterated his feeling that the loss of power was due to fuel starvation. He also noted in the section, Recommendation (How Could This Accident Have Been Prevented): "timing in fuel management." The airplane was not examined by the NTSB. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N35395](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N35395-2012-10-04), registration cancelled 2012-10-04, S/N 5646, built 1941 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper J5A - Registry model: [Piper J5A](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j5a) (registry code 7100702) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental C85 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c85-series) (registry code 17008, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 5-646 - Airframe hours: 1872 - Engines: Lycoming O-290-11 125 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: John Ballard - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 1, 2006 - Departed: 95Z, Bradley Sky, AK ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 63; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review March 1, 2005; seat: front; flight hours: 184 total, 97 in this make and model, 144 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 70 °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 20060830020019A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060830020019A), Aug 30, 2006: Piper J5A, Fairbanks, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) [privacy data omitted] pilot stated that on 8/30/2006 18:40 local at 3200 MSL, 210 AGL the engine quit with no indication. Aircraft was heading for chena… ## Other investigations on N35395 (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 ANC94LA058](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC94LA058), May 24, 1994: Piper J5A (N35395), Lake George, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM TREES DURING TAKEOFF. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE BENT GEAR LEG. 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.