Piper J5A accident near North Pole, Alaska, August 30, 2006
On August 30, 2006 at about 3:30 am local time, a Piper J5A, registered N35395, was substantially damaged in an accident near North Pole, 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 inadequate in-flight planning, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation during cruise flight, and an emergency landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2006 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- North Pole, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J5A · all J5As on the register
- Registration
- N35395 · no longer on the register · serial 5-646
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a VFR, personal local flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the airplane lost all engine power during cruise flight. The pilot stated that he performed a preflight inspection prior to the local flight, and there were no signs of fuel contamination. The left wing fuel tank was about one-quarter full, the right wing fuel tank was about three-quarters full, and he said the takeoff and flight were uneventful until the airplane lost engine power. The pilot said he had the left wing fuel tank selected, and was cruising about 2000 feet above ground level. He said he switched tanks, and turned the airplane toward the only open ground in the vicinity. The airplane's engine failed to restart, and an emergency landing was made in a marsh. The pilot said when the airplane touched down, it rolled about 30 feet before it nosed over. In a written statement, the pilot reported that the airplane was equipped with "U" tube type fuel level indicators in the wing roots. He wrote that he believed that trapped fuel in the indicators gave him a false indication of the fuel quantity in the tanks. The pilot said he felt the loss of engine power was due to fuel starvation. He also noted in the section, Recommendation (How Could This Accident Have Been Prevented): "timing in fuel management." The airplane was not examined by the NTSB.
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: 184 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 144 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,872 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-11 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 95Z Bradley Sky AK at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°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 N35395 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.