- Date
- May 17, 2011, 15:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Wasilla, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7690HPiper PA-12
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20110517009849A
- Case key
- 79132
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 inadequate preflight inspection, resulting in a departure with the fuel selector in the "off" position, a subsequent loss of engine power, and an off-airport emergency landing.
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
According to the pilot, he departed with the airplane's fuel selector inadvertently placed in the "off" position. When the airplane was about 700 feet above the ground, the engine lost power. After unsuccessfully trying to restart the engine, he made an emergency landing on marshy ground, where the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings and lift struts. The airplane's annual inspection was completed on the previous day, and the pilot did not notice that the fuel selector had been moved to the "off" position. After the fuel selector was placed in the "on" position, the engine ran normally.
Factual narrative
The pilot took off with the airplane's fuel selector inadvertently placed in the "off" position. He said that about 700 feet above the ground, the engine stopped. After unsuccessfully trying to restart the engine, he made an emergency landing on marshy ground, where the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings and lift struts. The airplane's annual inspection was done on the previous day, and the pilot did not notice that the fuel selector had been moved to the "off" position. After the fuel selector was put in the "on" position, the engine ran normally.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7690H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-580
- Airframe hours
- 3,261
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pendergrass Joseph M
- Registered owner
- Pendergrass Joseph M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 16, 2011
- Departed
- AK59 · Wasilla, AK
- Destination
- Wasilla, 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
- 67
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 6, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 5,700 total · 154 in this make and model · 5,510 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 24, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 554 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 N7690H · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.