# NTSB ANC14LA091: Piper J3, N7092H, Ft. Yukon, AK, September 28, 2014 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 28, 2014, 14:50 local (22:50 UTC) - Place: Ft. Yukon, AK - Coordinates: 66.760833, -144.044174 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=66.7608&lon=-144.0442&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 2, 2016 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 91000 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC14LA091 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/91000/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=91000 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC14LA091 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper preflight inspection and in-flight fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Planning/preparation: fuel planning](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper J3C-65, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md?model=7100510), [All aircraft, 719 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061030/cases.md) - [Fluids: fuel](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper J3C-65, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md?model=7100510), [All aircraft, 1,695 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071010/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: tree(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Piper J3C-65, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020/cases.md?model=7100510), [All aircraft, 933 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute: Fuel exhaustion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper J3C-65, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md?model=7100510), [All aircraft, 804 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/192/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Piper J3C-65, 54 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=7100510), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight. The pilot reported that, during the flight, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot made a forced landing in a burned out area of trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported the accident about 6 months after it occurred. The pilot reported that, after the forced landing, he noted that the right fuel tank cap was missing and that the fuel in the right fuel tank was depleted. The fuel selector was selected to the right fuel tank when the engine lost power, and the pilot stated that he did not attempt to switch the fuel selector to the left fuel tank. The airplane was never recovered or examined; however, given the pilot's statement, it is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Factual narrative On September 28, 2014, about 1450 Alaska daylight time, a Piper J-3 airplane, N7092H, sustained substantial damage after colliding with terrain following a loss of engine power about 20 miles north of Circle, Alaska. The airplane was owned and operated by the private pilot as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight plan had been filed for the flight. On the day of the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge was notified that an airplane had crashed and that the pilot was taken to a hospital for treatment and released. In the weeks following the accident, multiple attempts were made to contact the pilot by both the NTSB and FAA, with no success. On April 1, 2015, the accident pilot contacted the FAA and made a statement about the accident. He stated that he was returning from his homestead about 140 miles north of Circle, and about 20 miles north of Circle, the airplane's engine lost all power. He made a forced landing in a burned out area of trees, and the airplane sustained damage to both wing, the left wing spar, and the fuselage. After the forced landing, he stated that he noticed the right hand wing fuel cap was missing. He stated that he had added five gallons of fuel to the right fuel tank before departing, and flew with the fuel selector on the right fuel tank for the entire flight before the engine lost power. He stated that after the engine lost power, he did not attempt to switch the fuel selector to the left fuel tank. The airplane was not examined by the NTSB, and after repeated attempts, the pilot did not submit an NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7092H](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7092H), registered now, S/N 20343 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER J3 - Registry model: [Piper J3C-65](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-j3c-65) (registry code 7100510) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental A&C75 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c75-series) (registry code 17005, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 20343 - Year built: 1963 - Engines: CONT MOTOR A&C75 SERIES 75 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 63; injuries: none; sport pilot; airplane ratings: single-engine land; last flight review October 12, 2010; seat: front ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 37 °F, dew point 23 °F - Altimeter: 29.75 inHg - Observed at: PFYU, 31 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20140928021269A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140928021269A), Sep 28, 2014: Piper J3C-65, Ft. Yukon, AK, Substantial damage. The pilot stated he was returning from his homestead approximately 140 mile north of circle, Alaska when about 20 minutes from circle the engine quit. The… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 28, 2016, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=91000. 124 KB in all. - FAA Record of Conversation-Harte (Courtesy of FAA) (item 1, .PDF, 124 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40436154&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Record%20of%20Conversation-Harte%20(Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.