Piper PA-18-160 accident near Skwentna, Alaska, May 3, 2003
On May 3, 2003 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-160, registered N8240P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Skwentna, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to use carburetor heat, which resulted in the accumulation of carburetor ice, a partial loss of engine power, and a subsequent forced landing. Factors contributing to the accident are a downdraft, the pilot operating the airplane at a low altitude, the presence of carburetor icing conditions, and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 2003 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Skwentna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-160 · all PA-18-160s on the register
- Registration
- N8240P · registry record · serial 18-8045
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he was operating the airplane about 100 feet above the ground when he initiated a downwind turn. He said that during the turn, the airplane encountered a downdraft, which pushed the airplane closer to the ground. He immediately applied full power, but the engine did not appear to produce full power, and the airplane continued to descend. He said due to the airplane's low altitude, he was unable to select a better landing area than a nearby frozen river. The airplane landed hard on the ice, damaging the wings, fuselage, and landing gear. The pilot indicated that he believed that the engine did not produce full power due to carburetor ice, which had accumulated since he had been operating the engine at a reduced power setting without carburetor heat.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,250 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 18, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,666.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 17, 2003; 18.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 0AK1 Wasilla AK at 1:30 pm
- Destination: Skwentna AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°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.