- Date
- May 13, 1990, 19:00 local (May 14, 1990, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N73ARArtic Interstate S1B1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900513060649A
- Case key
- 5363
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
Fuel contamination which precluded the engine from developing the necessary power to clear the mountain ridge.
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
The pilot-in-command added full power and attempted to climb over a ridge when the engine began to sputter. He was forced to land on unimproved terrain. Examination of the fuel in the airplane revealed brown flakes which were examined and found to be flakes of gasoline varnish. The pilot stated the airplane had sat without operating for a long time prior to his purchase of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73AR
- Reported as
- Artic Interstate S1B1 (INTERSTATE)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1024
- Airframe hours
- 349
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ralph L. Loper
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 17, 1990 · 58 hours before
- Departed
- Z70 · Cantwell, AK
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 980 total · 58 in this make and model · 931 as pilot in command · 58 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.