Piper PA-18-150 accident near Canning River, Alaska, July 9, 1990
On July 9, 1990 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N8519Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Canning River, 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE ENGINE POWER LOSS DUE TO FUEL CONTAMINATION, AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN ON WHICH TO LAND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 1990 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Canning River, 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
- N8519Y · registry record · serial 188885
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE QUIT WHILE FLYING INTO A CANYON AT ABOUT 600 FT AGL. AFTER SWITCHING TO ANOTHER TANK, IT RESTARTED, BUT THE DESCENT COULD NOT BE ARRESTED BEFORE CRASHING INTO THE TREES. THE PILOT THOUGHT THE ENGINE QUIT FROM CONTAMINATION IN THE TANK, WHICH WAS AT A VERY LOW LEVEL. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY POST-IMPACT FIRE.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,100 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 2,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,223 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 7, 1990; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: SEC Deadhorse AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N8519Y 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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ANC90LA115.