- Date
- February 13, 1992, 12:28 local (16:28 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3877PPiper PA-18A-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920213002939A
- Case key
- 5689
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's misjudgment of the fuel consumption of the airplane; thereby exhausting the fuel supply prematurely. Factor relating to the accident was the lack of a suitable forced landing area.
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 was unable to land at his intended destination due to fog, so he elected to return to the lake hood airstrip. While on a three mile final, the pilot reported an engine failure and stated he would have to land to the west. He did not reach the lake and was forced to land in a residential area and struck a house and a tree. Subsequent examination of the airplane fuel system showed no measurable quantity of fuel in the fuel tanks, and no fuel odor in the vicinity of the airplane and no discoloration of the surrounding snow. Examination of the carburetor showed no residual fuel in the carburetor bowl or associated fuel lines.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3877P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18A-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-4703
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John Clark
- Registered owner
- Melvin B. Gillis
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 1, 1991
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,100 total · 800 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 1 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 18 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ANC, 3 nm away
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 N3877P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.