- Date
- October 13, 1989, 18:40 local (Oct 14, 1989, 02:40 UTC)
- Place
- Near Cold Bay, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4065EPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19891013040449A
- Case key
- 5316
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
Improper use of carburetor heat by the pilot, which resulted in loss of engine power due to carburetor ice. Carburetor icing conditions and high vegetation in the forced landing area were contributing factors.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4065E
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7809052
- Airframe hours
- 1,032
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Roger William Mercer
- Registered owner
- Roger W Mercer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 3, 1989 · 43 hours before
- Departed
- CDB · Cold Bay, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 193 total · 83 in this make and model · 148 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4065E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.