Piper PA-18-160 N8240P

Summary

On 3 May 2003 at about 20:00 local time, a Piper PA-18-160 registered N8240P, operated by Kyle Forsgren, was involved in an accident near Skwentna, 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

3 May 2003 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Skwentna, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

62.5000, -153.3333

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-160

Registration

N8240P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Kyle Forsgren

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wasilla → Skwentna

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC03LA048

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat, which resulted in the accumulation of carburetor ice, a partial loss of engine power, and a subsequent forced landing. Factors contributing to the accident are a downdraft, the pilot operating the airplane at a low altitude, the presence of carburetor icing conditions, and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported he was operating the airplane about 100 feet above the ground when he initiated a downwind turn. He said that during the turn, the airplane encountered a downdraft, which pushed the airplane closer to the ground. He immediately applied full power, but the engine did not appear to produce full power, and the airplane continued to descend. He said due to the airplane's low altitude, he was unable to select a better landing area than a nearby frozen river. The airplane landed hard on the ice, damaging the wings, fuselage, and landing gear. The pilot indicated that he believed that the engine did not produce full power due to carburetor ice, which had accumulated since he had been operating the engine at a reduced power setting without carburetor heat.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.