- Date
- May 23, 1992, 07:20 local (15:20 UTC)
- Place
- Birchwood, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7869HPiper PA-12-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920523016459A
- Case key
- 5727
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor relating to the accident was the pilot's intentional ground loop.
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 practicing touch and go landings and during the takeoff phase at 50 feet above the runway the engine stopped producing power. He landed on the overrun and ground looped the airplane to avoid striking the airport boundary fence. Examination of the airplane showed no mechanical malfunction of the engine, its systems, fuel system, or electrical system. The airplane was using a clear fuel which looked and smelled like automotive fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7869H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-772
- Airframe hours
- 3,412
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald Barber
- Registered owner
- Marta Hershchyshyn
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 20, 1992 · 24 hours before
- Airport
- Z15 · Birchwood, runway 1, 4,000 × 150 ft, macadam
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
- 58
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 10,565 total · 600 in this make and model · 10,265 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 90 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 104 °F, dew point 86 °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 N7869H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.