Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Skwentna, Alaska 99667
Friday, June 9, 2000 14:45 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The solo private pilot reported that while in cruise flight, about 200 feet above the ground, all engine power was lost. He said that the fuel selector valve was on the right fuel tank and that he intended to 'run the right tank dry,' then switch tanks. As the engine began to lose power, he switched the selector to the left fuel tank, but engine power was not immediately restored, and he selected a forced landing area on a sandy river bank. He added that during the landing roll, without applying the brakes, the airplane slowly nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut, and rudder. The pilot stated that just prior to the accident flight he added hydraulic brake fluid to the brake system. In the pilot's written report he indicated that a postaccident inspection revealed that the main wheels would not rotate. He wrote that when he bled the hydraulic brake system, both air and pressurized hydraulic fluid escaped from the bleed valve. After bleeding the hydraulic system, both wheels operated normally.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper positioning of the fuel tank selector, and fuel starvation. A factor in the accident was the improper service of the airplane's hydraulic brake system.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/9/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1445 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | SKWENTNA |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99667 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 60 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 360 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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) | 811 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 9 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1845 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 3 2001 4:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9739P |
| NTSB Number | ANC00LA066 |
| 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 | 18-7609010 |
| 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 | Jul 9 1999 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 44 |
| Airframe Hours | 1992 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MICHAEL C. GARDINO |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 21745 CHANDELLE CIRCLE |
| Aircraft Owner City | CHUGIAK |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99567 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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 | HILLTOP A/S |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1230 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SKW |
| Destination City | SKWENTNA |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 3 2001 4:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |