- Date
- August 26, 2017, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gulkana, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3233MPiper PA 12
- Defining event
- Enroute: Fuel exhaustion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170826013649A
- Case key
- 95902
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’s inadequate in-flight fuel planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane was transporting hunters to a remote cabin. The flight was a 146-mile multileg flight, which departed with about 20 gallons of fuel, which he believed was sufficient for the approximate 2-hour flight with about 30 minutes for fuel reserve. The pilot reported that visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the flight, but he noted that, due to low stratus clouds and rain showers, he diverted from his planned flightpath. He added that, on the last leg of the flight, the unanticipated headwind component was about 15 to 25 mph. About 2 miles from his destination, fuel exhaustion occurred, and the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot deviated from his destination to a river to execute a forced landing. While on the base-to-final leg on landing approach, the headwind changed to a tailwind, and the airplane landed in a left-wing-low orientation. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane was transporting hunters to a remote cabin. The flight was a multi-leg flight and consisted of about 146 miles. The flight departed with about 20 gallons of fuel for the 2.5 hours of flight time, and about 36 minutes for fuel reserve. The pilot reported that visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed during the flight, but he noted that due to low stratus clouds and rain showers, he diverted from his planned flight path. He added that on the last leg of the flight, the unanticipated head wind component was about 15-25 mph. About 2 miles from his destination, fuel exhaustion occurred, and the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot deviated from his destination to the copper river to execute a forced landing. While on the base to final leg on landing approach, the headwind changed to a tailwind, and the airplane landed in a left wing low orientation. A postaccident exam of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3233M
- Reported as
- Piper PA 12 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-2027
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 3,378.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Wrangell Mountain Air Inc.
- Registered owner
- Joel Boniek
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 29, 2017
- Departed
- Remote Cabin, AK
- Destination
- GKN · Gulkana, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 31, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 210 in this make and model · 14,000 as pilot in command · 314 in the last 90 days · 110 in the last 30 days · 6.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.57 inHg
- Observed at
- PAGK
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 15, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 MB in all.
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 N3233M · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.