# NTSB ANC93LA124: Piper PA-18, N472GF, Port Alsworth, AK, July 21, 1993 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 21, 1993, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC) - Place: Port Alsworth, AK - Coordinates: 60.200004, -154.280929 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.2000&lon=-154.2809&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report June 30, 1994 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 2385 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC93LA124 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/2385/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC93LA124 ## Probable cause FUEL CONTAMINATION AND THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE AIRSPEED WITH WHICH TO MAKE A NORMAL LANDING FOLLOWING THE ENGINE POWER LOSS. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, takeoff - initial climb - fluid,fuel - contamination (cause) - preflight planning/preparation - improper, pilot in command (cause) - Forced landing, descent - emergency - Hard landing, landing - airspeed - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor) ## Analysis AFTER PERFORMING A TOUCH AND GO LANDING, AND REACHING APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET AGL DURING THE STEEP CLIMB OUT, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED HARD BACK ON THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD JUST WASHED THE AIRPLANE AND STEAMED CLEANED THE ENGINE, AND WAS GOING TO FLY AROUND THE PATTERN A COUPLE TIMES TO DRY THINGS OFF. HE SAID THE AIRPLANE'S TANKS CONTAINED ABOUT 7 GALLONS OF FUEL. WATER WAS FOUND MIXED WITH THE FUEL IN THE GASCOLATOR. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 21, 1993, at 1500 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA 18 airplane, N472GF, experienced a hard landing following a total loss of engine power just after takeoff at Port Alsworth, Alaska. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was seriously injured, and the airplane substantially damaged. The personal local flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed Port Alsworth at 1450. Visual meteorological conditions existed, and no flight plan was filed. During a telephone conversation on the day after the accident the pilot stated the following in part: "I had just finished washing the airplane and steam cleaning the engine, and was going to fly the airplane for a few minutes to dry it off. I did a thorough ground run before taking off and everything was fine. I took off and was climbing out on my first touch and go. Everything was still operating fine. When I got to about 250 feet above the ground the engine suddenly quit completely. I was doing a steep climb and my airspeed was only about 45 mph. As soon as the engine quit the airplane stalled. I shoved the control stick forward, but didn't have enough altitude to gain much airspeed before I landed hard back on the runway. Both main landing gear collapsed and the wing struts broke. I don't know for sure but maybe I got some water in the system when I washed the airplane. I didn't drain the tanks to check for water because I'd never had any problems with water. I had flown the airplane for 1.5 hours yesterday and everything seemed fine. I only had about 7 gallons of fuel in the tanks, and was only planning to fly around the pattern a couple times." ADDITIONAL INFORMATION On August 5, 1993, FAA Airworthiness Safety Inspector Ernest A. Keener, FSDO-03, Anchorage, Alaska, examined the wreckage. He stated that at that time the fuel in the airplane's fuel gascolator still contained a significant amount of water. At the time of the accident the airplane was equipped with 30 inch Airstreak Tundra Tires. ## Aircraft - Registration: N472GF (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-18 - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18-8608 - Airframe hours: 6176 - Engines: LYCOMING O-320-B2B 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Davis, Jeremy S. - Registered owner: Davis, Jeremy S. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 28, 1989, 35 hours before - Departed: Z30 - Destination: Z30 - Airport: Z30, Port Alsworth, runway 23, 2,500 × 75 ft, gravel ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 26; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, expired; seat: front; flight hours: 2,020 total, 170 in this make and model, 1,750 as pilot in command, 55 in the last 90 days, 25 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 8 knots - Visibility: 25 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: Z30, 1 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19930721025119A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930721025119A), Jul 21, 1993: Piper PA18150, Port Alsworth, AK, Substantial damage. Engine quit on steep climbout. Stalled. Recovered but impacted high sink rate. Washed plane but failed drain sumps. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.