- Date
- July 3, 1991, 17:00 local (Jul 4, 1991, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- King Salmon, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N82732Piper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910703025999A
- Case key
- 5492
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 pilot inadvertently switched the magnetos off during the flight. Contributing to the accident was the rough, uneven terrain with loose gravel.
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 that while adjusting the power approach, his heavy police coat sleeve switched the magneto switch to off, which caused a complete engine failure. After touchdown on a gravel bar, the airplane nosed over on its back.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N82732
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7709182
- Airframe hours
- 3,370
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Public use
- Operator
- Alaska State Troopers
- Registered owner
- Alaska State Troopers
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 11, 1991 · 24 hours before
- Departed
- Z-03 · Egegik, 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
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 50 in this make and model · 2,800 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 30 °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.
Other investigations on N82732 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.