- Date
- November 3, 1998, 14:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Willow, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5129YPiper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19981103039929A
- Case key
- 45335
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
A loss of engine power due to an undetermined reason. A factor associated with the accident was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing.
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 certificated private pilot reported that while in cruise flight at 1,000 feet msl, all engine power was lost. He stated that all attempts to restore engine power failed, forcing him to select an open swampy meadow as an emergency landing area. During the ensuing landing roll, the airplane's main landing gear contacted soft tundra, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage and tail. The NTSB investigator-in-charge did not have access to the airplane or engine after recovery, and was unable to perform a postaccident inspection.
Factual narrative
On November 3, 1998, about 1450 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-12 airplane, N5129Y, sustained substantial damage following a loss of engine power and subsequent off airport forced landing about 15 miles northeast of Willow, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The certificated private pilot, and the one passenger aboard were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on November 4, 1998, the pilot reported that while in cruise flight at 1,000 feet msl, all engine power was lost. He stated that all attempts to restore engine power failed, forcing him to select an open swampy meadow as an emergency landing area. During the ensuing landing roll, the airplane's main landing gear contacted soft tundra, and the airplane nosed over.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage and tail.
The NTSB investigator-in-charge did not have access to the airplane or engine after recovery, and was unable to perform a postaccident inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5129Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-1554
- Airframe hours
- 2,556
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William Harold Carbine
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 2, 1998 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- UUO · AK
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 77 total · 14 in this make and model · 17 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F
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 N5129Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.