Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Port Alsworth, Alaska 99653
Tuesady, August 18, 1992 18:34 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS COMMENCED WITH MINIMUM FUEL. HE ESTIMATED THAT THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK HAD ABOUT 2 TO 3 GALLONS OF FUEL AND HE WAS RUNNING THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK DOWN. HE KNEW THE RIGHT TANK WAS ABOUT OUT OF FUEL, SO HE HAD ONE HAND ON THE FUEL TANK SELECT VALVE TO SWITCH IT TO THE LEFT TANK AT THE FIRST INDICATION THAT THE ENGINE WAS BEING DEPRIVED OF FUEL. THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND HE SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECT VALVE TO THE LEFT TANK. THE ENGINE CAUGHT AND RAN FOR ABOUT 45 SECONDS TO 1 MINUTE THAN BEGAN TO SPUTTER. WHEN IT BECAME EVIDENT TO HIM THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT GOING TO CATCH AND RUN, HE PERFORMED AN OFF AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE TUNDRA WHICH RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO THE ENGINE INGESTING 'SLUDGE' FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK. THE PILOT COMMENTED THAT THE RIGHT WING TANK HAD NEVER BEEN OUT OF THE AIRPLANE SINCE THE PLANE WAS BUILT IN 1957.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL STARVATION ASSOCIATED WITH FUEL CONTAMINATION DUE TO AN INADEQUATE AIRCRAFT PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT. THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN ENCOUNTERED DURING THE LANDING WAS A FACTOR.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/18/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1834 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | PORT ALSWORTH |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99653 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1800 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 315 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ILI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 207 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 40 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 504 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 18 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1430 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:10PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7509K |
| NTSB Number | ANC92LA137 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-18-150 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-18-150 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18 228 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1750 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 12 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 27 |
| Airframe Hours | 4094 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DONALD D. KASSUBE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 9988 MAINTREE |
| Aircraft Owner City | ANCHORAGE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99516 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | DONALD D. KASSUBE |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 9988 MAINTREE |
| Operator City | ANCHORAGE |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 99516 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | GROUND HOG MTN. |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1805 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |