Piper PA-22-150 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, January 22, 2019
On January 22, 2019 at about 6:15 pm local time, a 1957 Piper PA-22-150, registered N7640D, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Anchorage, Alaska (Soldotna airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to oil starvation as the result of a loose B-nut fitting on the engine oil cooler, resulting in a forced landing to a soft, snow-covered surface, and a subsequent nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 2019 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Soldotna · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-150, built 1957 · all PA-22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N7640D · no longer on the register · serial 22-5349
- 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 he noticed the smell of burning oil, which was immediately followed by a change in engine sound, followed by a partial loss of engine power. The engine continued to lose power and the pilot selected a snow-covered beach as a forced landing site. During touchdown, as the airplane's main landing gear wheels contacted an area of deep snow, it abruptly nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. Examination of the engine revealed that there was no engine oil in the sump. An oil cooler B-nut, which was located on the right side of the oil cooler, was found loose, and there was a significant oil streaking on the right side of the fuselage. Review of maintenance records revealed that there had been no recent maintenance activity to the oil cooler or other engine components adjacent to the loose B-nut. Given the accident pilot’s account of the accident, along with the discovery of the loose oil cooler B-nut, it is likely that the engine failed due to oil starvation after all engine oil was lost through the loose B-nut.
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 (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft surface › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Eng oil sys (airframe furnish) › Cooler › Not serviced/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 710 hours in all; 710 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 685 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,030 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 14, 2018; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 2,030 hours total
- Operator: J & H Sewing & Vacuum Inc
The flight
- Departed from: SXQ Soldotna AK at 5:10 pm
- Destination: LHD Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 035° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 am from PANC, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on October 5, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Follow-up Interviews | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Wreckage Exam Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.