Piper PA-18 accident near Sterling, Alaska, February 23, 2011
On February 23, 2011 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N623MP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Sterling, Alaska (Sterling Air Park airport). 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 airplane owner improper fabrication of a fuel line, and subsequent inadequate inspection by an aviation mechanic, resulting in a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 2011 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sterling, Alaska · Sterling Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N623MP · registry record · serial 188090
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the accident flight was the first flight after a major rebuild of the airplane. After completing ground runs on the engine, he and a passenger departed for a test flight. During the initial climb, approximately 600 feet above the ground, the engine lost power. He elected to land in a snow-covered field and during the landing the airplane nosed over. Substantial damage was sustained to both the front and rear lift struts on the right wing. A postaccident inspection of the fuel system by the pilot revealed a flap of rubber inside a flexible fuel hose that was of significant size to restrict fuel flow to the engine. The fuel hose was fabricated by the airplane owner, under the supervision of the mechanic. The fuel hose which was fabricated out of flexible automotive hydraulic line was not an approved aircraft-grade fuel hose.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › Hoses and tubes › Inadequate inspection
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Fabrication › Owner/builder
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel distribution › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 1,300 in this make and model
- Last flight review: February 24, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 40AK Sterling AK at 9:10 pm
- Destination: 40AK Sterling AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06, 1,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point -6°F (-21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.85 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from PASX, 7 miles away
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.
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.