Piper PA-18-150 accident near Palmer, Alaska, June 29, 2001
On June 29, 2001 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N6881B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palmer, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel starvation due to the pilot's selection of an empty fuel tank during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2001 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N6881B · no longer on the register · serial 18-5068
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated private pilot, with one passenger aboard, was departing from a 800-feet long airstrip. A witness to the accident reported that just after takeoff the accident airplane's engine began to run rough and lose power. The witness said that it appeared that the pilot was trying to turn the airplane around in an attempt to return to the airstrip, and subsequently struck the surface of an open field next to the airstrip. An FAA airworthiness inspector from the local FSDO, traveled to the accident scene and examined the airplane. He reported that the airplane came to rest upright with the left wing still attached to the fuselage, but the right wing was torn from the airplane during the impact. Both wing fuel tanks remained intact and were not breached, and the fuel selector valve was selected to the right fuel tank. The right fuel tank was empty, but the left tank was approximately 2/3 full. The FAA inspector interviewed a neighbor that lives close to the accident airstrip who responded to the accident site, just after the accident. The neighbor stated that in the process of assisting rescue personnel, he moved the right wing away from the fuselage. In the process of moving the severed wing, he noted that the right wing fuel tank was empty, with no visible signs of postaccident spillage. While at the accident site an Alaska State Trooper removed the right wing fuel cap, and verified that the right wing fuel tank was empty.
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: 120 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, June 1, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAQ Palmer AK at 4:50 pm
- Destination: PAQ Palmer AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 800 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.