Piper PA-18-150 accident near Clear, Alaska, December 23, 2010
On December 23, 2010 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N40283, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Clear, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to water/ice in the fuel system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 2010 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Clear, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N40283 · registry record · serial 18-7509119
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while in level cruise flight, the airplane's engine began to lose power, and then lost all power. He said he was unable to restart the engine, and selected a snow and tree-covered area as a forced landing site. During the forced landing, the airplane's left wing collided with a tree, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and left wing. He said that at the time of the accident the outside air temperature was minus 22 degrees F, and that during his postaccident inspection of the airplane he discovered that the engine fuel gascolator filter had become blocked by ice crystals. He stated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, and noted that the accident might have been prevented if he had removed the gascolator during his preflight to check for ice crystals, or preheated the engine, and then drained the water from the gascolator.
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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Fuel contamination during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Inadequate inspection
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 6,300 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 6,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,102 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 4, 2010; 134 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Minchumina AK at 5:00 pm
- Destination: AK28 Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: -22°F (-30°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.