- Date
- June 20, 2022, 12:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK · Sand bar
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7048KPiper PA-20
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail
- 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
- FAA report
- 20220620010779A
- Case key
- 105390
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 loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and the pilot’s failure to utilize carburetor heat.
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 reported that he was departing from a remote unimproved landing site. During takeoff, at about 200 feet above ground level, the engine lost all power. The pilot made a forced landing to a gravel sand bar, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and both wing lift struts. The pilot stated that he believed that the carburetor developed ice as weather conditions were conducive to carburetor icing and he failed to apply carburetor heat. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7048K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-155
- Built
- 1950
- Airframe hours
- 2,865
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290 SERIES, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 25, 2021 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- PAAQ · palmer, AK
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS
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
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 4, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 374.3 total · 215.18 in this make and model · 278.3 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- PAAQ, 11 nm away
- METAR
- PAAQ 202053Z 21008KT 10SM SCT065 19/06 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP169 T01890061 58006
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 21, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.4 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.