- Date
- September 21, 2007, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4468ZPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA-AL-FAI FSDO 01
- Case key
- 66761
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper use of the carburetor heat control, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed to preclude a stall. Contributing to the accident was carburetor icing conditions.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The non-certificated pilot was preparing to land at a remote landing site, and pushed the engine mixture control to full rich. The pilot said the engine rpm began decreasing, and the engine lost power when he moved the mixture toward its previous lean position. He indicated that there was rain in the vicinity, and the weather conditions were "ideal for carburetor icing." He said the airplane stalled from about 50 feet above the ground, and collided with the ground. The pilot reported that he did not believe there was any mechanical malfunction.
Factual narrative
On September 21, 2007, about 1200 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N4468Z, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power, about 36 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The non-certificated pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area of the accident. The flight originated from Fairbanks, and no flight plan was filed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on September 26, the pilot reported that he was preparing to land near the Wood River, and pushed the engine mixture control to full rich. The engine rpm began decreasing, and the engine lost power when he moved the mixture toward its previous lean position. The airplane then stalled from about 50 feet above the ground, and collided with the ground. The airplane received structural damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there was rain in the vicinity, and the meteorological conditions were "ideal for carburetor icing."
In the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) submitted by the pilot, he indicated that he did not believe there was any mechanical malfunction. The pilot's airman certificate was revoked in October, 2005 by the Federal Aviation Administration. He had about 7,100 hours of flight experience prior to the revocation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4468Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 188817
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert Logan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PAFA · Fairbanks, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- Minor
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 7,100 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F
Other investigations on N4468Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.