Piper PA-18 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, July 9, 1993
On July 9, 1993, a Piper PA-18, registered N1ZA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S IMPROPER POSITIONING OF THE FUEL SELECTOR. FACTOR WAS THE SOFT CONDITION OF THE FORCED LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 9, 1993
- Place
- Anchorage, 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 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N1ZA · registry record · serial 18-7002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND STATED HE STARTED THE ENGINE WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THE RIGHT TANK POSITION AND THEN SWITCHED TO THE LEFT TANK. HE COMPLETED HIS RUN UP AND TAKEOFF WITH THE SELECTOR IN THE LEFT TANK POSITION. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE SHOWED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND WAS ASKED TO IDENTIFY THE POSITION OF THE FUEL SELECTOR AND HE STATED IT WAS IN THE LEFT TANK POSITION. THE PIPER PA-18 FUEL SELECTOR HAS A SMALL POINTER AND LARGE HANDLE. THE POINTER MUST POINT TO THE SELECTED FUEL TANK. THIS POINTER WAS POINTING TO OFF AND THE HANDLE WAS ON THE LEFT TANK POSITION. THE AIRPLANE LANDED ON THE SOFT MUSKEG DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING AND NOSED OVER.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 13,000 as pilot in command; 2,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,989 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 30, 1993; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 90 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N1ZA 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 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 ANC93LA113.