- Date
- August 24, 2016, 18:30 local (Aug 25, 2016, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sterling, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N35589Piper J5A
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel related
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 10, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20160824024209A
- Case key
- 93828
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 improper fuel management, which led to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing on a road too narrow for the airplane.
Findings · 4
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 pilot was returning from a local flight when he intentionally ran the right fuel tank dry. After switching fuel tanks, he attempted to restart the engine, but the attempt was unsuccessful. During an emergency landing on a narrow road, the right wing impacted brush and trees, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings.
Factual narrative
The pilot was returning from a local flight when he intentionally ran the right fuel tank dry. After switching fuel tanks, he attempted to restart the engine, but the attempt was unsuccessful. During an emergency landing on a narrow road, the right wing impacted brush and trees, causing the airplane to turn towards the right and resulted in substantial damage to both wings.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N35589
- Reported as
- Piper J5A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5-693
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290 SERIES, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SXQ · Soldotna, AK
- Destination
- SXQ · Soldotna, AK
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2
- Last flight review
- May 18, 2016
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 710 total · 35 in this make and model · 710 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- PASX, 23 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 30, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 696 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 N35589 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.