Piper PA-14 accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, August 26, 2010
On August 26, 2010 at about 4:00 am local time, a Piper PA-14, registered N5114H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Talkeetna, 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A faulty fuel quantity indication in-flight, which precipitated a precautionary off-airport landing, and collision with a road sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 2010 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-14 · all PA-14s on the register
- Registration
- N5114H · registry record · serial 14-120
- 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 on a personal cross country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The pilot said he had fueled the airplane prior to take off, but the indications of the electric fuel gauges made him believe the airplane was losing fuel. He thought the airplane would not make it to the nearest airport, and he elected to make a precautionary landing on a state highway, which was the only suitable landing site in the remote area. He said both fuel gauges were reading empty, and traffic on the road made him land farther down the road than anticipated. During the landing roll, the left wing struck a road sign. He said the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, elevator, and right wing.
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
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel quantity indicator › Malfunction
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 410 hours in all; 340 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 410 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 19, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,900 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PATW Cantwell AK at 4:00 pm
- Destination: PAMR Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N5114H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC10CA079.