- Date
- December 20, 1991, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kenai, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8678DPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19911220057099A
- Case key
- 5678
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Engine failure due to fuel contamination. Contributing to the accident was unsuitable terrain.
Analysis
The pilot stated that after reaching about 50 feet AGL during the takeoff climb, the engine lost partial power for a few seconds then quit completely. He landed straight ahead, coming to rest in the trees about 600 to 800 feet from the end of the strip. After numerous metal slivers were removed from the carburetor the engine operated normally. The source of the metal slivers was not determined.
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
- N8678D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6282
- Airframe hours
- 6,000
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Grant Fritz, doing business as Alaska Girl Fisheries, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Grant Fritz
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 1990 · 117 hours before
- Airport
- NONE · None, runway 36, 1,000 × 100 ft, snow
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 882 total · 860 in this make and model · 882 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 10 °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 N8678D · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.