- Date
- December 13, 1992, 10:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1954PPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19921213049919A
- Case key
- 5856
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.
The total loss of engine power due to a short in the voltage regulator, and the lack of suitable terrain for the pilot to make the forced landing on.
Analysis
During the takeoff climb the pilot smelled what he thought was burning electrical wires, and the cockpit filled with smoke. The engine lost all power almost immediately. The off airport forced landing on the mud flats resulted in substantial damage to the airplane when it nosed over. Examination found that the voltage regulator had shorted out. This caused a brief localized fire which burned and shorted out the magneto 'p' leads, causing the engine to stop running.
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
- N1954P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-4181
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Smith, Hugh
- Registered owner
- Smith, Hugh
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 6, 1992 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- Z41 · Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- Z41 · Lake Hood, runway 31, 2,200 × 50 ft, gravel
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
- 60
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 28.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ANC, 2 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 N1954P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.