- Date
- August 25, 2010, 20:00 local (Aug 26, 2010, 04:00 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5114HPiper PA-14
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-03
- FAA report
- 20100825044039A
- Case key
- 77148
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
A faulty fuel quantity indication in-flight, which precipitated a precautionary off-airport landing, and collision with a road sign.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The private pilot was on a personal cross country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The pilot said he had fueled the airplane prior to take off, but the indications of the electric fuel gauges made him believe the airplane was losing fuel. He thought the airplane would not make it to the nearest airport, and he elected to make a precautionary landing on a state highway, which was the only suitable landing site in the remote area. He said both fuel gauges were reading empty, and traffic on the road made him land farther down the road than anticipated. During the landing roll, the left wing struck a road sign. He said the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, elevator, and right wing.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was on a personal cross country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The pilot said he had fueled the airplane prior to take off, but the indications of the electric fuel gauges made him believe the airplane was losing fuel. He thought the airplane would not make it to the nearest airport, and he elected to make a precautionary landing on a state highway, which was the only suitable landing site in the remote area. He said both fuel gauges were reading empty, and traffic on the road made him land farther down the road than anticipated. During the landing roll, the left wing struck a road sign. He said the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, elevator, and right wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5114H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-14
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14-120
- Airframe hours
- 4,900
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wasche Kenneth M
- Registered owner
- Wasche Kenneth M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2010
- Departed
- PATW · Cantwell, AK
- Destination
- PAMR · Anchorage, 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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 19, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 410 total · 340 in this make and model · 410 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 11 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 28, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 748 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5114H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.