ANC84LA010

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-20 · Anchorage, AK · October 24, 1983

Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal report

Date: October 24, 1983, 12:26 local (20:26 UTC)
Place: Anchorage, AK
Injuries: 1 minor
Damage: Substantial damage
Phase of flight: Initial climb
Aircraft: N97MMPiper PA-20
Weather: Visual (VMC) · Day
Status: Completed
Report: Approved by Office Director
NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office
FAA report: 19831024055419A
Case key: 4252

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanicalTakeoff - initial climb

Preflight planning/preparation - inadequatePilot in commandCause

Fluid,fuel - starvationCause

Fuel tank selector position - improperPilot in commandCause

Forced landingLanding - flare/touchdown

Complete gear collapsedLanding - flare/touchdown

Landing gear,main gear - overload

Landing gear,nose gear - overload

Analysis

The eng quit during takeoff. The plt stated the fuel selector was initially on the left tank which was found empty. The right tank was 1/8/ full.

Aircraft

Registration: N97MM
Reported as: Piper PA-20
Category: Airplane
Serial number: 20-41
Airframe hours: 2,200
Engine: Lycoming O-320-B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage: Substantial damage
Flight: Personal · Part 91
Registered owner: Charles C. Gold, Jr.
Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
Last inspection: Annual · April 1, 1983 · 4 hours before
Airport: MRI · Merril Field, runway 15, 2,469 × 60 ft, asphalt

N97MMRegistration cancelled Nov 14, 2005 · Piper PA-20S/N 20-41 Airframe modelPiper PA-20

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: 44
Certificate: Private
Airplane ratings: Single-engine land
Medical: Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat: Left
Flight hours: 454 total · 269 in this make and model · 259 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions: Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind: Calm
Visibility: 60 statute miles
Lowest ceiling: 10,000 ft broken
Temperature: 34 °F, dew point 25 °F
Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Observed at: ANC, 1 nm away

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19831024055419APiper PA20 · Anchorage, AKEngine quit on takeoff climb. Crash landed off end of runway. Fuel selector on empty tank. Other tank had fuel.Oct 24, 1983 · N97MM · Substantial damage

Other investigations on N97MM · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC86LA012Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportShageluk, AKThe acft contacted trees and descended to the terrain while on an apch to a lake. The plt reported the acft windscreen kept frosting up and he had to repeatedly wipe it clean. In the process of wiping the windscreen he approached the lake at a lower than…Dec 6, 1985 · Substantial damage