- Date
- July 9, 1990, 15:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Canning River, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8519YPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900709025349A
- Case key
- 5403
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
The engine power loss due to fuel contamination, and the lack of suitable terrain on which to land.
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 stated the engine quit while flying into a canyon at about 600 ft AGL. After switching to another tank, it restarted, but the descent could not be arrested before crashing into the trees. The pilot thought the engine quit from contamination in the tank, which was at a very low level. The airplane was destroyed by post-impact fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8519Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 188885
- Airframe hours
- 2,223
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Steven H. Porter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 7, 1990 · 20 hours before
- Destination
- SEC · Deadhorse, 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
- 32
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,100 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 2,900 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °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.
Other investigations on N8519Y · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.