Piper PA-14 N5114H

Summary

On 26 August 2010 at about 04:00 local time, a Piper PA-14 registered N5114H, operated by Wasche Kenneth M, was involved in an accident near Talkeetna, 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

26 August 2010 at 04:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

62.4936, -150.2900

Aircraft

Piper PA-14

Registration

N5114H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Wasche Kenneth M

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cantwell → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC10CA079

Nobody was injured.

A faulty fuel quantity indication in-flight, which precipitated a precautionary off-airport landing, and collision with a road sign.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was on a personal cross country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The pilot said he had fueled the airplane prior to take off, but the indications of the electric fuel gauges made him believe the airplane was losing fuel. He thought the airplane would not make it to the nearest airport, and he elected to make a precautionary landing on a state highway, which was the only suitable landing site in the remote area. He said both fuel gauges were reading empty, and traffic on the road made him land farther down the road than anticipated. During the landing roll, the left wing struck a road sign. He said the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, elevator, and right wing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.