Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Paxson, Alaska 99586
Tuesady, August 13, 2013 12:40 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The private pilot reported that she was on a cross-country flight in a float-equipped airplane, and that, about 20 minutes into the flight, the engine rpm suddenly dropped to idle. She moved the throttle forward, and the engine momentarily responded, but it again dropped to idle power. She switched fuel tanks, but the engine still did not respond, so she initiated a forced landing to brush-covered tundra. During the forced landing, the airplane nosed over, which caused substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage.
Examination of the engine revealed that the clamp that secures the throttle cable was loose, which allowed the throttle cable housing to move inside the clamp. The engine was started without tightening the throttle cable clamp, and it operated normally through various power settings. Given the loose throttle cable clamp and the pilot’s account of the accident sequence, it is likely that the throttle cable housing was free to move when the throttle lever moved, which limited the amount of throttle authority available to the pilot.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The partial loss of engine power due to a loose throttle cable clamp.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/13/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1240 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Paxson |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99586 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 625724N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1462305W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 AKD |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 151 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PAGK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1579 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 54 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AKD |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.95 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR PAGK 132053Z AUTO 13006KT 10SM CLR 22/09 A29 |
| 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) | 32930 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Alaskan FAA Regional Operation |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 31 2014 5:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N44RT |
| NTSB Number | ANC13LA079 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18-8927 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 27 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 2420 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LATHROP RICHARD C TRUSTEE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | ANCHORAGE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99517-2813 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | LATHROP NANCY |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | ANCHORAGE |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99517-2813 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Tangle Lakes |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1220 |
| Departure Time Zone | AKD |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PALH |
| Destination City | Anchorage |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 31 2014 5:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |