Piper PA-18-150 accident near Port Alsworth, Alaska, August 19, 1992
On August 19, 1992 at about 2:34 am local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N7509K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Port Alsworth, 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 LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL STARVATION ASSOCIATED WITH FUEL CONTAMINATION DUE TO AN INADEQUATE AIRCRAFT PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT. THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN ENCOUNTERED DURING THE LANDING WAS A FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 1992 · about 2:34 am local time
- Place
- Port Alsworth, 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
- N7509K · no longer on the register · serial 18 228
- 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 THE FLIGHT WAS COMMENCED WITH MINIMUM FUEL. HE ESTIMATED THAT THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK HAD ABOUT 2 TO 3 GALLONS OF FUEL AND HE WAS RUNNING THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK DOWN. HE KNEW THE RIGHT TANK WAS ABOUT OUT OF FUEL, SO HE HAD ONE HAND ON THE FUEL TANK SELECT VALVE TO SWITCH IT TO THE LEFT TANK AT THE FIRST INDICATION THAT THE ENGINE WAS BEING DEPRIVED OF FUEL. THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND HE SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECT VALVE TO THE LEFT TANK. THE ENGINE CAUGHT AND RAN FOR ABOUT 45 SECONDS TO 1 MINUTE THAN BEGAN TO SPUTTER. WHEN IT BECAME EVIDENT TO HIM THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT GOING TO CATCH AND RUN, HE PERFORMED AN OFF AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE TUNDRA WHICH RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER MAY HAVE BEEN DUE TO THE ENGINE INGESTING 'SLUDGE' FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK. THE PILOT COMMENTED THAT THE RIGHT WING TANK HAD NEVER BEEN OUT OF THE AIRPLANE SINCE THE PLANE WAS BUILT IN 1957.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 197 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,094 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 1992; 27 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: Ground Hog Mtn. AK at 10:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from ILI, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N7509K the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.