Piper PA-16 accident near Chugiak, Alaska, August 19, 2006
On August 19, 2006 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-16, registered N5280H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chugiak, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to properly preflight the airplane and remove all water from the fuel system, which resulted in a loss of engine power during takeoff/initial climb, and subsequent loss of control. Factors associated with the accident are the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed to preclude a stall, and the inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2006 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Chugiak, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-16 · all PA-16s on the register
- Registration
- N5280H · no longer on the register · serial 16-84
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private certificated pilot was on a visual flight rules, personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the float-equipped airplane lost engine power during initial climb after takeoff. The pilot made a 180 degree turn toward the departure lake, but the airplane stalled and impacted trees. The pilot said he had moored the airplane for a week in the rain with the fuel tanks three-quarters empty. The morning of the accident, he fueled both tanks with a mixture of aviation and auto fuel. He said the preflight and engine run-up were normal, and that he used carburetor heat when the engine was idling, but not during step-taxi or takeoff. He said as the airplane climbed over trees along the shore, the engine backfired twice, and quit completely. At the site, the NTSB investigator found 5-6 pieces of "chopped" wood, each piece was about 18 inches long, about 2 inches in diameter, and appeared to have been cut by the airplane's propeller sometime during the uncontrolled descent. The engine was not accessible, and was not examined. The airplane was disassembled by agents for the pilot and stored. The pilot reported that with the airplane on floats, the wings were in a more level attitude than when sitting on the tailwheel, and any water in the tanks was more likely to move away from the sumps. He added that his practice of standing on the front of the floats while taking the fuel samples probably moved any contaminants further from the sumps. The pilot reported that in his opinion, the loss of power was due to water contamination of the fuel as a result of leaving the tanks three-quarters empty during a rainy period, in conjunction with a flawed sumping procedure.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 428 hours in all; 290 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 366 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,455 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Mirror Lake AK at 1:15 pm
- Destination: Katie Lake AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 1:36 pm from PABV, 2 miles away
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 N5280H 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.