- Date
- June 12, 1991, 16:00 local (Jun 13, 1991, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kenai, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3459MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910612021369A
- Case key
- 5556
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-in-command's improper preflight and the contaminated fuel system. A factor was the rough, uneven terrain.
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
During the takeoff roll, the engine quit. The airplane ran off the end of the runway and was located in a nose down position resting at the bottom of a steep slope. Examination of the fuel systems revealed water in both tanks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3459M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 122317
- Airframe hours
- 1,145
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Vincent Spady
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1991 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- Kenai, AK
- Destination
- NONE · Skwentna, AK
- Airport
- NONE · Private Airstrip
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,200 total · 77 in this make and model · 2,100 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 99 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 39 °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.