# NTSB ANC07LA056: Piper PA-12, N78456, Anchorage, AK, June 27, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 26, 2007, 19:30 local (Jun 27, 2007, 03:30 UTC) - Place: Anchorage, AK - Coordinates: 61.210571, -149.88916 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.2106&lon=-149.8892&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 30, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Anchorage FSDO-03 - NTSB case key (mKey): 66143 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC07LA056 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/66143/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC07LA056 ## Probable cause The malfunction of an engine magneto during cruise flight, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power, and an on-ground encounter with terrain. A factor associated with the accident was the high vegetation at the off-airport landing site. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(partial) - mech failure/malf, cruise - normal - ignition system,magneto - failure,partial (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - high vegetation (contributing factor) - precautionary landing - performed, pilot in command - Nose over, landing - roll ## Analysis The private certificated pilot was conducting a personal local flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The pilot said that during cruise flight the engine started to run rough. He was unable to get the engine to run smoothly, and elected to make a precautionary landing on a grass-covered field. He said the grass was knee to waist high, and the airplane nosed over during the landing roll. The pilot indicated that the wings and rudder were damaged when the airplane nosed over. An aircraft mechanic who examined the airplane after recovery said that during a test run of the engine, the engine appeared to have a malfunctioning magneto. The magneto was sent to a shop for examination, and the technician who examined the magneto, said the upper housing had fractured, allowing the wire-lugs to float internally, and the engine to run rough. He said the damage to the magneto did not appear to be the result of the accident, and that the failure of the upper housing was not uncommon in older airplanes. ## Factual narrative On June 26, 2007, about 1930 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-12 airplane, N78456, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during an off-airport precautionary landing, about 6 miles northwest of Anchorage, 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 solo private certificated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Merrill Field, Anchorage, about 1910. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on June 27, the pilot said that during cruise flight the engine started to run rough, and he was unable to get the engine to run smoothly, and elected to make a precautionary landing on a grass-covered field, where he had landed on previous occasions. He said the grass was knee to waist high, and the airplane nosed over during the landing roll. The pilot indicated that the wings and rudder were damaged when the airplane nosed over. After the airplane was recovered, a certificated aircraft mechanic who examined the airplane, told the IIC that during a test run of the engine, the engine appeared to have a malfunctioning magneto. He said the magneto was sent to a shop for examination. During a telephone conversation with the IIC on July 17, the technician who examined the magneto, said the upper housing had fractured, allowing the wire-lugs to float internally, and the engine to run rough. He said the damage to the magneto, in his experience, did not appear to be the result of the accident. He said the failure of the upper housing was not uncommon in older airplanes. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N78456](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N78456), registered now, S/N 12-1965, 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: 12-1965 - Airframe hours: 4149 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-A2B 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Demitrios Deoudes - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 1, 2006 - Departed: PAMR, Anchorage, AK - Destination: Deshka River, AK ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 44; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review December 1, 2006; seat: front ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 61 °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 20070627013779A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070627013779A), Jun 27, 2007: Piper PA12, Anchorage, AK, Minor damage. (-23) Pilot departed merrill field for the deska river. After crossing cook inlet, his aircraft engine started to run rough. So after switching fuel tanks,… ## Other investigations on N78456 (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 ANC99LA069](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA069), Jun 5, 1999: Piper PA-12 (N78456), Anchorage, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to compensate for the wind conditions and maintain a proper rate of descent during the approach for landing, which resulted in a hard landing, and the subsequent collapse of the… 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.