# NTSB ANC98LA102: Piper PA-18, N8162C, Kodiak, AK, July 18, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 18, 1998, 15:54 local (23:54 UTC) - Place: Kodiak, AK - Coordinates: 57.789752, -152.400314 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=57.7898&lon=-152.4003&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 19, 1999 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 43070 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC98LA102 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/43070/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98LA102 ## Probable cause The loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and the pilot's improper use of the carburetor heat control. A factor associated with the accident is the rough and uneven terrain at the forced landing area. ## 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 - fuel system,carburetor - ice (cause) - carburetor heat - improper use of, pilot in command (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, emergency landing after takeoff - terrain condition - rough/uneven (contributing factor) ## Analysis The pilot taxied with carburetor heat on, and removed it just before takeoff from a lake. The engine ran rough at 300 feet above the water during takeoff. The pilot applied carburetor heat and the engine smoothed out. The pilot removed carburetor heat, and the engine lost total power. The airplane landed on a gravel road at the end of the lake, collapsing the struts. Inspection of the airplane, engine, and carburetor revealed no anomalies. The engine operated normally on a test stand. The temperature dew point combination falls within the 'moderate icing - cruise power' range of the Transport Canada carburetor icing chart. ## Factual narrative On July 18, 1998, at 1554 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N8162C, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after takeoff from the Lily Lake Seaplane Base, Kodiak, Alaska. The airline transport pilot was not injured, and the sole passenger sustained minor injuries. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91, as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge on July 18, that he taxied with carburetor heat applied, and had a normal run-up and magneto check prior to takeoff. He performed a takeoff with carburetor heat off, and at 300 feet above the surface during the initial climb, the engine "coughed." He said he applied carburetor heat and the engine smoothed out. He stated that he then removed carburetor heat and the engine lost total power. There was not enough room to land on the lake, so he landed straight ahead on a road at the departure end of the lake. During the landing roll, the floats contacted soft gravel, and the float struts and fuselage buckled. The airplane's engine had been overhauled 167 hours prior to the accident. Inspection of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed no anomalies. The engine was removed to Anchorage, Alaska, and operated normally on a test stand on August 24. The carburetor was disassembled and inspected on September 11, with no anomalies noted. The Aviation Safety Bureau of Transport Canada chart "Conditions Known Favorable For Carburetor Icing" shows an outside air temperature of 57 degrees Fahrenheit combined with a dew point of 40. Fahrenheit falls in the "moderate icing - cruise power" range. ## Aircraft - Registration: N8162C (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-18 - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18-3618 - Airframe hours: 4261 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-B2B 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: John R. Morton - Registered owner: Jim Venable - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, April 16, 1998, 11 hours before - Departed: 9Z3, LILY LAKE, AK - Airport: 9Z3, Kodiak (Lily Lake), runway 2, 2,100 × 300 ft ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 51; airline transport, commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine sea, single-engine sea, multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: front; flight hours: 23,670 total, 10,000 in this make and model, 23,000 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 80° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 14,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 57 °F, dew point 39 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: ADQ, 6 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 19980718024459A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980718024459A), Jul 18, 1998: Piper PA18A135, Kodiak, AK, Substantial damage. Engine coughed on climbout. Used carb heat engine smoothed out. Took heat off. Engine quit. Buckled floats landing. (.4)the pilot taxied with carburetor heat… 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.