- Date
- September 10, 2010, 18:00 local (Sep 11, 2010, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- South Naknek, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7414KPiper PA-20
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)
- 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
- 20100910049399A
- Case key
- 77261
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 loss of engine power during cruise flight for an undetermined reason, resulting in an emergency landing and collision with terrain.
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 solo non-certificated pilot was on a personal local flight operating under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The pilot said he was on a 5 minute flight from one airport to another. He said as he approached his destination airport, the airplane's engine started to lose power so he applied carburetor heat, which had no effect, and he turned the heat off. He said there were airplanes in the airport's pattern, and he extended his approach to the pattern. The pilot said he again applied carburetor heat with no effect. The engine continued to lose power and he decided to land on a roadway. The pilot said the airplane landed hard, exited the roadway, and collided with trees. He said the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Due to its remote location, the airplane was not examined by the NTSB.
Factual narrative
On September 10, 2010, about 1800 Alaska daylight time, a tailwheel equipped Piper PA-20 airplane, N7414K, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing and collision with trees, about one-quarter mile northeast of the South Naknek Airport, South Naknek, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo non-certificated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed the Naknek Airport, Naknek, Alaska, about 1755. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on September 10, the pilot said he was on a short, 5 minute flight from Naknek to South Naknek. He said as he approached his destination airport, the airplane's engine started to lose power. He said he applied carburetor heat, but it had no effect, and he turned the heat off. He said there were airplanes in the destination airport's pattern, and he extended his approach to the pattern. The pilot said he again applied carburetor heat with no effect. The engine continued to lose power, and he said he decided to land on a roadway. The pilot said the airplane landed hard, exited the roadway, and collided with trees, sustaining substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Due to its remote location, the airplane was not examined by the NTSB.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7414K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-324
- Airframe hours
- 1,024
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290 SERIES, 140 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Zimin Ralph E
- Registered owner
- Zimin Ralph E
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 6, 2010
- Departed
- 5NK · Naknek, AK
- Destination
- South Naknek, 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 300 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 5, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 566 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 N7414K · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.