# NTSB ANC25LA019: Piper PA-18-150, N2447J, Wasilla, AK, February 21, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: February 20, 2025, 16:42 local (Feb 21, 2025, 01:42 UTC) - Place: Wasilla, AK · Palmer Hay Flats - Coordinates: 61.4895, -149.60366 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.4895&lon=-149.6037&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern final: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 4, 2026 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA FSDO - SAIBs cited in the narratives: [SAIB CE-09-35](https://openairdocs.org/saib/CE-09-35) (OpenAirDocs) - NTSB case key (mKey): 199729 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC25LA019 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/199729/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199729 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25LA019 ## Probable cause A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Engine (reciprocating)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058500): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-18-150, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058500/cases.md?model=7101828), [All aircraft, 497 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058500/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach-VFR pattern final: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-18-150, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md?model=7101828), [All aircraft, 1,703 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Piper PA-18-150, 15 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=7101828), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that, while performing touch-and-go landings, on final approach with the carburetor heat on, the airplane’s engine suddenly lost total power. After assessing that the airplane had insufficient altitude to glide to the runway, the pilot selected nearby hay flats as a forced landing site. During the forced landing, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane’s right wing impacted terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. A postaccident examination of the engine, including the carburetor heat control, revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. Fuel was recovered from both wing fuel tanks and the fuselage sump drains. Although the atmospheric conditions in which the airplane was operating were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing at glide and cruise power settings, the pilot’s reported use of carburetor heat during the approach would have prevented the accumulation of carburetor ice. Based on this information, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined. ## Factual narrative On February 20, 2025, about 1642 Alaska standard time, a Piper PA-18-150 airplane, N2447J, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Wasilla, Alaska. The pilot was uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, he departed Tidewater Airport (77AK) about 1500 and flew the airplane to a different airport and completed about 15 practice landings. He then flew back to 77AK, where he landed then decided to depart again to practice touch-and-go landings. He stated that, during final approach to runway 01 with the carburetor heat on, the airplane’s engine suddenly lost total power when the airplane was about 400 to 450 ft above ground level. After assessing that the airplane had insufficient altitude to glide to the runway, the pilot selected nearby hay flats as a forced landing site. During the forced landing, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane’s right wing impacted terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported that, after the accident, he observed fuel leaking from the damaged right wing, so he positioned the fuel selector to the left tank to stop some of the fuel from leaking out. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation. The examination included disassembly of the carburetor heat control cable with no discrepancy noted. About 8 gallons of fuel was recovered from the left wing, about 14.5 gallons was recovered from the right wing, and about 2.5 gallons was recovered from the fuselage sump drains. The recorded temperature and dew point near the accident site were about 39°F and 19°F, respectively. A review of the Carburetor Icing Probability Chart located in the FAA’s Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-09-35, Carburetor Icing Prevention, dated June 30, 2009, indicated that these conditions were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing at glide and cruise power settings. The SAIB stated that, to prevent carburetor icing, the pilot should assure the proper functionality of the carburetor heat during the before takeoff check and use carburetor heat on approach and descent when operating at low power settings or in conditions where carburetor icing is probable. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2447J](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2447J), registered now, S/N 18-7909125 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-18-150 - Registry model: [Piper PA-18-150](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-150) (registry code 7101828) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18-7909125 - Year built: 1979 - Airframe hours: 3694.94 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A2A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, February 8, 2025, 1 hours before - Departed: Z40, Goose Bay, AK - Destination: 77AK, Wasilla, AK - Airport: 77AK, Tidewater Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 59; injuries: none; private, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: basicmed, without waivers/limitations; last flight review September 16, 2024; seat: front; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 4,302 total, 2,400 in this make and model, 1 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 50° at 11 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 39 °F, dew point 19 °F - Altimeter: 29.30 inHg - Observed at: PAWS, 5 nm away - METAR: PAWS 210056Z AUTO 05011KT 10SM CLR 04/M07 A2930 RMK AO2 SLP925 T00391067 ## 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 20250221002129A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250221002129A), Feb 21, 2025: Piper PA-18-150, Wasilla, AK, Substantial damage. Pilot was practicing touch n go's at "AK77" Tidewater Airport, on final approach with carb heat on, fuel selected to both and 2 notches of flaps at 450FT AGL… ## Other investigations on N2447J (1) 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. - [NTSB LAX69F0354](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX69F0354), May 5, 1969: Cessna 150 (N2447J), Corona, CA, substantial damage ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 4, 2026, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199729. 25.5 MB in all. - Delete (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 2.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18378970&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ANC25LA019%206120%20V2_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Maintenance records (item 2, PDF, 8 pages, 19.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18667176&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ANC25LA019%20MX%20Logs_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Mechanic examination notes (item 3, PDF, 3 pages, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18667302&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ANC25LA019%20Engine%20Exam%20MOR_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Engine examination notes (item 4, PDF, 7 pages, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18793175&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N2557J%20Engine%20Examination%20Field%20Notes-Rel.pdf - Carburetor icing probability graph (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 282 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18857851&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ANC25LA019%20Carburetor%20Icing%20Probability%20Graph-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 6, PDF, 3 pages, 963 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18667532&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ANC25LA019%20Photos-Rel.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.