Piper PA-18 N679RK

Summary

On 4 August 1989 at about 04:00 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N679RK was involved in an accident near Canyon Creek, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 August 1989 at 04:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Canyon Creek, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N679RK

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Canyon Creek → Dillingham

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC89LA132

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION CONCERNING FUEL MANAGEMENT, WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL STARVATION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: PROBABLE WATER IN THE FUEL, INADEQUATE ALTITUDE FOR AN ENGINE RESTART, AND THE TERRAIN CONDITIONS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT STATED THAT ABOUT 15 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENG LOST POWER. RPRTDLY, IT LOST POWER AFTER THE LEFT TANK EMPTIED. HE SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK, BUT RPRTDLY THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ALT TO OBTAIN A RESTART BEFORE HE WAS FORCED TO LAND ON ROUGH TERRAIN. THE PLT RPRTD HE NORMALLY OPERATED THE ACFT BY USING FUEL FROM THE LEFT TANK & HAD NOT USED FUEL FROM THE RIGHT TANK IN SEVERAL MONTHS. HE BELIEVED A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER MAY HAVE COME FROM THE RIGHT TANK & PREVENTED AN IMMEDIATE RESTART OF THE ENG. THE ACDNT OCCURRED IN A REMOTE AREA & THE OCCUPANTS OF THE ACFT WERE NOT RECOVERED FOR SIX DAYS. THE ACFT WAS NOT RETRIEVED (AS OF THE DATE OF THE PLT'S ACDNT RPRT).

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.