- Date
- May 26, 1992, 08:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Port Heiden, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3558MPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920526015999A
- Case key
- 5731
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 power loss for undetermined causes. Contributing to the accident was the unsuitable terrain.
Analysis
The pilot said that during cruise flight, without any warning, he experienced a total loss of engine power. The subsequent off airport forced landing resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. Teardown and testing of the engine and accessories revealed no problems that were considered causal to the loss of engine power.
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
- N3558M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-2402
- Airframe hours
- 2,600
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-C2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Peter D. Hickey
- Registered owner
- Peter D. Hickey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 1992 · 150 hours before
- Departed
- PTH
- Destination
- PTH
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,350 total · 1,100 in this make and model · 1,280 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 90 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 220° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.