Piper PA-18-150 accident near Skwentna, Alaska, June 9, 2000
On June 9, 2000 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N9739P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Skwentna, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper positioning of the fuel tank selector, and fuel starvation. A factor in the accident was the improper service of the airplane's hydraulic brake system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2000 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Skwentna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N9739P · no longer on the register · serial 18-7609010
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo private pilot reported that while in cruise flight, about 200 feet above the ground, all engine power was lost. He said that the fuel selector valve was on the right fuel tank and that he intended to 'run the right tank dry,' then switch tanks. As the engine began to lose power, he switched the selector to the left fuel tank, but engine power was not immediately restored, and he selected a forced landing area on a sandy river bank. He added that during the landing roll, without applying the brakes, the airplane slowly nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut, and rudder. The pilot stated that just prior to the accident flight he added hydraulic brake fluid to the brake system. In the pilot's written report he indicated that a postaccident inspection revealed that the main wheels would not rotate. He wrote that when he bled the hydraulic brake system, both air and pressurized hydraulic fluid escaped from the bleed valve. After bleeding the hydraulic system, both wheels operated normally.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,775 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 2,775 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,992 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 1999; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Hilltop A/S AK at 3:30 pm
- Destination: SKW Skwentna AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.