- Date
- April 18, 1985, 17:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Beluga, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4228MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19850418015849A
- Case key
- 4482
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.
Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical
Fluid,fuel - exhaustionFactor
Refueling - disregardedFactor
Diverted attentionFactor
Planning/decision - poorFactor
Altitude - inadequateCause
In flight collision with terrain/water
Terrain condition - high vegetationFactor
Altitude - inadequateCause
Judgment - poorCause
Analysis
Acft was doing low alt turns-about-a-point when the eng quit due to fuel starvation. The acft then crashed into trees. Plt stated the acft had aprx 5 gals of fuel an board at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4228M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-3183
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Samuel E. Thistle
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- LHD · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- BLG · Belgula, AK
N4228MRegistration cancelled Apr 24, 2018 · Piper PA-12Airframe modelPiper PA-12Engine modelLycoming 0-320 series
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 609 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.