- Date
- August 18, 1992, 18:34 local (Aug 19, 1992, 02:34 UTC)
- Place
- Port Alsworth, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7509KPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920818056239A
- Case key
- 5784
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 due to fuel starvation associated with fuel contamination due to an inadequate aircraft preflight by the pilot. The unsuitable terrain encountered during the landing was a factor.
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 reported that the flight was commenced with minimum fuel. He estimated that the left wing fuel tank had about 2 to 3 gallons of fuel and he was running the right wing fuel tank down. He knew the right tank was about out of fuel, so he had one hand on the fuel tank select valve to switch it to the left tank at the first indication that the engine was being deprived of fuel. The engine sputtered and he switched the fuel select valve to the left tank. The engine caught and ran for about 45 seconds to 1 minute than began to sputter. When it became evident to him that the engine was not going to catch and run, he performed an off airport emergency landing on the tundra which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot said that the loss of engine power may have been due to the engine ingesting 'sludge' from the bottom of the right wing fuel tank. The pilot commented that the right wing tank had never been out of the airplane since the plane was built in 1957.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7509K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18 228
- Airframe hours
- 4,094
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Donald D. Kassube
- Registered owner
- Donald D. Kassube
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 12, 1992 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- Ground Hog Mtn., AK
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 197 total · 80 in this make and model · 28 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ILI, 40 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.