Piper PA-18-150 accident near Chickaloon, Alaska, August 9, 2005
On August 9, 2005 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N717DR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chickaloon, 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
A loss of engine power for an undetermined reason during initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in a emergency landing/collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2005 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Chickaloon, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N717DR · registry record · serial 18-4387
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was conducting a Title 14 CFR Part 91 local personal flight in a float-equipped airplane. The pilot reported the airplane lost engine power during the initial climb after takeoff from a small lake, and he made a forced landing on tundra-covered terrain. An inspection of the airplane revealed no obvious reason for the loss of engine power. The gascolator was breached during the accident, but about one-half ounce of fuel was collected from the gascolator. The sample was clear, light blue, appeared uncontaminated, and smelled like avgas. Fuel samples taken from the operator's supply tank were light colored and cloudy, with visible signs of contamination. The owner had the engine and carburetor disassembled and inspected at a certified aircraft engine repair station, and nothing was found that would result in a loss of engine power. The pilot said there were no known mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident. The airplane sustained structural damage to the right wing and fuselage during the accident.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 2,100 in this make and model; 3,190 as pilot in command; 700 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,442 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2005; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Chickaloon AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°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.
Other NTSB records under N717DR the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.