Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Wright Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
North Pole, Alaska 99705
Wednesday, October 13, 2004 18:05 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The commercial certificated flight instructor was giving flight instruction for a tailwheel endorsement to the commercial certificated airplane owner. Shortly after takeoff from the private airstrip, the airplane lost all engine power. The flight instructor assumed control of the airplane, and made a forced landing into adjacent trees. The airplane received structural damage to both wings and the rudder. Postaccident inspection of the airplane by an FAA airworthiness inspector disclosed that the airplane had completed an annual inspection about 9 flight hours prior to the accident flight. The inspector discovered that an incorrect size carburetor had been installed by the mechanic who did the annual inspection, and that the center fuel tank had corrosion and rust contamination, and was missing its outlet fuel screen. The inspector disassembled the fuel gascolator screen, and discovered it was clogged with foreign debris. After the gascolator was cleaned, the inspector reported that "the engine started and ran fine."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
An inadequate annual inspection by other maintenance personnel, which resulted in a loss of engine power during takeoff-initial climb, and subsequent collision with trees during the ensuing emergency landing. Factors associated with the accident are a contaminated fuel system, a missing fuel screen, and a clogged fuel gascolator.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/13/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1805 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | North Pole |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99705 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 645000N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1472700W |
| Event Location Airport | Wright Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 480 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17665 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 13 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1905 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 8 2005 12:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Fairbanks |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N92469 |
| NTSB Number | ANC05LA006 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | J-3 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 16939 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1220 |
| 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 | Sep 30 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 9 |
| Airframe Hours | 3482 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Adria Zuccaro |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | North Pole |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99705 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | North Pole |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1805 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 24 2005 1:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PETL |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 15 |
| Runway Length | 2500 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |