Piper PA-18-150 accident near Galena, Alaska, May 29, 1995
On May 29, 1995 at about 5:30 am local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N83622, was substantially damaged in an accident near Galena, 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 WATER CONTAMINATING THE FUEL AND THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT WHICH FAILED TO ELIMINATE THE WATER FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 1995 · about 5:30 am local time
- Place
- Galena, 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
- N83622 · registry record · serial 18-7709104
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THIS WAS THE AIRPLANE'S FIRST FLIGHT AFTER WINTER. THE PILOT DRAINED THE FUEL TANK SUMPS AND GASCOLATOR AND FOUND A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER. TWENTY MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT COMPLETED A FORCED LANDING ON THE TUNDRA. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER DURING THE LANDING ROLL. THE PILOT REMOVED THE FUEL LINE FROM THE GASCOLATOR TO THE CARBURETOR AND FOUND WATER IN THE FUEL LINE.
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: 5,400 hours in all; 5,400 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,277 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 16, 1994; 175 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GAL AK
- Destination: HSL Huslia AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N83622 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 ANC95LA061.