Piper PA-12 N7658H
16 September 1996 · Anchorage, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 16 September 1996 at about 23:45 local time, a Piper PA-12 registered N7658H was involved in an accident near Anchorage, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 23:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Anchorage, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 61.1603, -149.9901
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12
- Registration
- N7658H
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lake Louise → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC96LA157
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
the pilot's improper planning/decision, which resulted in loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. A factor associated with the accident was: the erroneous (false) indication of the fuel sight tubes.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that he had approximately 4.5 hours of fuel on board. He indicated that he tried to conserve fuel during his flight by operating the airplane at a reduced power setting, because he knew that the flight time would be close to the airplane's fuel flight time limits. The engine began to sputter as he was crossing Knik Arm. He applied carburetor heat and noted a small improvement in engine RPM. The engine then lost all power. The pilot stated he attempted to land on water, but was unable to reach the water. He landed on mud flats, and the right float struck a gully during the landing. The float strut collapsed, and the airplane dragged the right wing and elevator. During repair of the airplane after the accident, a mechanic found that the fuel sight tubes would show a greater quantity of fuel than was available.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-12 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Aug 1996 | Piper PA-12 | Astoria, Oregon, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 13 Sep 1996 | Piper PA-12 | Chitina, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Mar 1996 | Piper PA-12 | Cantwell, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 1996 | Piper PA-12 | Roselle, Illinois, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 27 Apr 1997 | Piper PA-12 | Key Largo, Florida, United States | John D. Moyer | No injuries | - |
| 26 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-12 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Apr 1996 | Piper PA-28 | Wasilla, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Apr 1996 | Piper PA-11 | Paxson, Alaska, United States | Mark W. Barkdull | No injuries | - |
| 24 Apr 1996 | Piper PA-14 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | David Calkins | No injuries | - |
| 27 Apr 1996 | Piper PA-18 | Kotzebue, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Apr 1996 | Cessna 180H | Palmer, Alaska, United States | Richard Greeno | No injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 1996 | Piper PA-18 | Kasilof, Alaska, United States | Paul G. Isaak | No injuries | - |