Piper PA-12 N78599
6 September 1992 · Cokeville, Wyoming, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 6 September 1992 at about 15:00 local time, a Piper PA-12 registered N78599, operated by John I Ritter, was involved in an accident near Cokeville, Wyoming, 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 15:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Cokeville, Wyoming, United States
- Coordinates
- 42.0799, -110.9492
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12
- Registration
- N78599
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- John I Ritter
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Kemmerer → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA92LA196
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE CRANKSHAFT. FACTORS INCLUDE NON SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING AND AN IMPROPER PROPELLER.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT OF THE PIPER PA 12 REALIZED THAT HE WAS EXPERIENCING A POWER LOSS WHILE MANEUVERING, LOOKING FOR MISSING SHEEP. HE TURNED TO LOWER, FLATTER TERRAIN. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER, SO HE MADE A FORCED LANDING IN UNSUITABLE TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AFTER TOUCHING DOWN. METALLURGICAL TESTING REVEALED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT HAD EXPERIENCED FATIGUE FAILURE. THE ENGINE HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON A FIELD APPROVAL. THE PROPELLER/ENGINE COMBINATION INSTALLED IN THIS AIRCRAFT HAD NOT BEEN TESTED OR APPROVED FOR THIS, OR ANY OTHER, INSTALLATION.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-12 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 May 1992 | Piper PA-12-150 | Birchwood, Alaska, United States | Donald Barber | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 1992 | Piper PA-12 | Bradenton, Florida, United States | Corkleigh E. White | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 May 1992 | Piper PA-12 | Port Heiden, Alaska, United States | Peter D. Hickey | No injuries | - |
| 22 May 1992 | Piper PA-12 | Port Bainbridge, Alaska, United States | Bruce Johnson | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 1992 | Piper PA-12 | Klutina Lake, Alaska, United States | Mayeur, Clint | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jun 1992 | Piper PA-12 | Kantishna, Alaska, United States | Stephen and Gwen Mathis | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1992 | Cessna 150K | Moran Junction, Wyoming, United States | Kohut, Robert J. | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Dec 1992 | Croy KR-2M | Gillette, Wyoming, United States | Croy, Jana M. | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jun 1992 | Cessna 182K | Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States | Wolfe, Gerald D. | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jun 1992 | Cessna 172 | McKinnon, Wyoming, United States | Mitchell, Darrell A. | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 1992 | Navion H | Gillette, Wyoming, United States | Eckert, Edwin J. | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 1992 | Helio H-295 | Laramie, Wyoming, United States | Gainey, Mark & Russel, John | No injuries | - |