Piper PA-18-150 N8466Y

Summary

On 11 November 2012 at about 21:00 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N8466Y, operated by William W Eggimann, was involved in an accident near Akiachak, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 November 2012 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Akiachak, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Akaichak Airport (Z13)

Coordinates

60.9064, -161.4931

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-150

Registration

N8466Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

William W Eggimann

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Aniak → Bethel

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ANC13LA009

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion, and the pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the subsequent forced landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot departed on a flight between two remote Alaskan communities; however, because of deteriorating weather conditions along the flight route, he decided to return to his home airport. During the return flight, the pilot became concerned about his remaining fuel and diverted to an alternate airport. When he reached that airport, he elected not to land because he believed that he had enough fuel to reach his home airport. As the flight continued, the engine lost power, but the pilot was able to switch fuel tanks and restart the engine. While maneuvering to land at the closest airport, all engine power was lost, and the pilot selected an off-airport, snow-and tree-covered area for a forced landing. He said that during the approach, the airplane stalled and collided with terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, lift struts, and fuselage. The pilot also reported that while en route to the alternate airport, the instrument panel-mounted carbon monoxide detector turned black. According to the carbon monoxide detector manufacturer, a positive indication for carbon monoxide would be indicated by the detector showing yellow, green, or dark blue color. Any other color would indicate that the detector was contaminated or outdated. No expiration date was recorded on the accident airplane's carbon monoxide detector. A postaccident examination of the airplane’s muffler and cabin heater muff did not disclose any leaks or mechanical anomalies. Therefore, it is unlikely that there was a problem with carbon monoxide during the flight. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and noted that the loss of engine power was due to fuel exhaustion.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.