- Date
- July 1, 1993, 19:30 local (Jul 2, 1993, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Felton, MN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1841APiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 10, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930701022269A
- Case key
- 15755
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 pilot-in-command's failure to maintain airspeed. Factors contributing to the accident were a cracked carburetor float, fuel starvation, and the failure to perform an annual inspection.
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 airplane departed a restricted landing area runway for a local flight. Shortly after departing, at 300 feet above the ground, the airplane's engine stopped running. The pilot performed a 180 degree turn toward the departure runway. During the turn the airplane stalled and subsequently collided with the ground. The airplane was destroyed by a post impact fire. The on-scene investigation revealed a carburetor float with multiple cracks in it. Liquid emersion of the float revealed liquid penetration into the float. The last annual inspection was performed 21 months prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1841A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-1735
- Airframe hours
- 3,334
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Alden Brendemuhl
- Registered owner
- Alden Brendemuhl
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 5, 1991 · 25 hours before
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Invalid Medical for flight
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 700 total · 700 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAR, 17 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.