- Date
- February 23, 2011, 17:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Sterling, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N623MPPiper PA-18
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 78431
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 airplane owner improper fabrication of a fuel line, and subsequent inadequate inspection by an aviation mechanic, resulting in a loss of engine power.
Findings · 3
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
According to the pilot, the accident flight was the first flight after a major rebuild of the airplane. After completing ground runs on the engine, he and a passenger departed for a test flight. During the initial climb, approximately 600 feet above the ground, the engine lost power. He elected to land in a snow-covered field and during the landing the airplane nosed over. Substantial damage was sustained to both the front and rear lift struts on the right wing. A postaccident inspection of the fuel system by the pilot revealed a flap of rubber inside a flexible fuel hose that was of significant size to restrict fuel flow to the engine. The fuel hose was fabricated by the airplane owner, under the supervision of the mechanic. The fuel hose which was fabricated out of flexible automotive hydraulic line was not an approved aircraft-grade fuel hose.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot's statement, the accident flight was the first flight after a major rebuild of the airplane. After completing ground runs on the engine, the pilot and passenger departed the airport for a test flight. During the initial climb, approximately 600 feet above the ground, the engine lost power. The pilot elected to land in a snow covered field, and during the landing the airplane nosed over. Substantial damage was sustained to both the front and rear lift struts on the right wing. A postaccident inspection of the fuel system by the pilot, who is also the mechanic that oversaw the rebuild of the airplane, revealed a flap of rubber inside a flexible fuel hose that was of significant size to restrict fuel flow to the engine. The fuel hose was fabricated by the airplane owner, under the supervision of the mechanic. The fuel hose was fabricated out of flexible automotive hydraulic line, not approved aircraft-grade fuel hose.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N623MP
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 188090
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Johnson Johnny L
- Registered owner
- Johnson Johnny L
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 40AK · Sterling, AK
- Destination
- 40AK · Sterling, AK
- Airport
- 40AK · Sterling Air Park, runway 06, 1,500 × 75 ft, snow
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 24, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 1,300 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point -6 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.85 inHg
- Observed at
- PASX, 7 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 29, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 359 KB in all.