- Date
- August 5, 2021, 12:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N148CMAlaskan Air Adventures SQ2
- Defining event
- Initial climb: 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
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210805013399A
- Case key
- 103709
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 inadvertent movement of the fuel selector valve to a position between the tanks, which resulted in fuel starvation and a subsequent 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
The pilot performed a preflight inspection with no anomalies noted. Then, after takeoff, about 50 ft above ground level, the engine lost total power. The pilot elected to land the airplane straight ahead on the runway, however, there was not enough runway remaining to stop the airplane, so he maneuvered the airplane into vegetation on the side of the runway to avoid a runway overrun. After the airplane came to rest, the pilot noted that the fuel selector was in between the right and left fuel tank positions, which likely got “bumped prior to takeoff.” During the accident sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wings and right elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N148CM
- Reported as
- Alaskan Air Adventures SQ2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TCQ1003064
- Built
- 2011
- Engine
- Aerosport O-375-L4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 23, 2021
- Destination
- IYS · Wasilla, AK
- Airport
- AK44 · Talkeetna Village Strip, runway 34, 1,600 × 30 ft, gravel
- 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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 12, 2021
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,700 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.81 inHg
- Observed at
- PATK, 1 nm away
- METAR
- PATK 051853Z VRB03KT 10SM CLR 17/12 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP097 T01720122
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 18, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 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.