Piper PA-18-150 accident near Alexander Creek, Alaska, March 31, 1991
On March 31, 1991 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N1988P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Alexander Creek, 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
THE ENGINE FAILURE RESULTING FROM FUEL SCREEN CONTAMINATION . A FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 1991 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Alexander Creek, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N1988P · registry record · serial 18-4223
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A NON MECHANICAL ENGINE FAILURE. THE FORCED LANDING AREA CONTAINED SCRUB TREES AND DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THESE TREES CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED THAT THE GASCOLATOR AND FUEL LINES CONTAINED DIRT AND DEBRIS FROM AN UNDETERMINED SOURCE. NO OTHER MECHANICAL DIFFICULTIES WERE FOUND.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 423 hours in all; 411 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 374 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,150 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 20, 1990; 69 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Anchorage AK at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 90 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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 ANC91LA049.