- Date
- August 20, 1984, 09:23 local (17:23 UTC)
- Place
- Chandalar, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4052ZPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19840820041719A
- Case key
- 4341
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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.
Analysis
During flt at about 4500 ft MSL, the eng began a severe knocking, then a cylinder separated from the eng & oil completely covered the windshield. The plt tried to make an emergency landing beside the Chandalar river. However, the acft came to rest in the river in about 4 ft of water. Reportedly, a cylinder bolt had failed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4052Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8054
- Airframe hours
- 3,695
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Keith C. Loontz
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 31, 1984 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- Savoonga, AK
- Destination
- Chandalar, AK
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 900 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 30 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.