- Date
- March 12, 2021, 16:30 local (Mar 13, 2021, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kasilof, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9073DPiper PA-18A 150
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Fuel starvation
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20210312004489A
- Case key
- 102760
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 mismanagement of the available fuel, which resulted in a total loss on engine power due to fuel starvation.
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, while flying at a low altitude, the engine lost all power. In an effort to restore power, he rotated the fuel selector to what he thought was the left fuel tank while focusing his attention outside the airplane to conduct an emergency descent and landing. During the emergency landing the airplane impacted trees sustaining substantial damage to the wings, lift struts, fuselage and right elevator. A post-accident wreckage examination which included an engine run revealed no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. In addition, fuel was found in the left main fuel tank, no fuel in the right main fuel tank and the fuel selector was in the off position. The pilot stated that he must have inadvertently selected the fuel selector to the off position following the loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9073D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18A 150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6439
- Built
- 1958
- Airframe hours
- 4,759.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 2, 2020
- Departed
- PASX · Soldotna, AK
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 1, 2020
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 688.9 total · 48.2 in this make and model · 607.8 as pilot in command · 7.3 in the last 90 days · 7.3 in the last 30 days · 2.1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- -15 °F, dew point -18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- PASX, 28 nm away
- METAR
- PASX 121356Z AUTO 06004KT 10SM CLR M26/M28 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP231 T12611283 FZRANO
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 20, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.0 MB 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 N9073D · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.