Piper PA-18A-150 N9496D

Summary

On 12 September 1989 at about 00:15 local time, a Piper PA-18A-150 registered N9496D was involved in an accident near Winston, New Mexico, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 September 1989 at 00:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Winston, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Beaverhead (1E3)

Coordinates

33.3804, -107.7399

Aircraft

Piper PA-18A-150

Registration

N9496D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Edgewood

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN89LA214

1 person was seriously injured.

DETERIORATED CARBURETOR FLOAT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND THE TERRAIN CONDITIONS IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT LEANED THE MIXTURE & TOOK OFF ON RWY 30, A HIGH ALT DIRT STRIP WITH A 3.8% UPHILL GRADIENT. WINDS WERE FROM THE NNW AT ABT 14 KTS. AT APRX 200' TO 300' AGL, THE ENG BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE ACFT SETTLED & CRASHED ON ROCKY TERRAIN AS THE PLT WAS AVOIDING TREES. FIRE CONSUMED THE ACFT. A TEARDOWN OF THE MARVEL-SCHEBLER MA4-SPA CARB REVEALED IT CONTAINED A COMPOSITE FLOAT (WHICH WAS DETERIORATED), PART OF THE FLOAT TOE WAS MISSING & THE NEEDLE VALVE WAS STUCK. THE VALVE & SEAT WERE COVERED WITH A SOFT/STICKY SUBSTANCE & THE INLET FILTER SCREEN WAS ALMOST ENTIRELY BLOCKED BY FOREIGN DEBRIS. AN STC HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR N9496D, WHICH ALLOWED USE OF AUTO FUEL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.