Piper J5-C accident near Valdez, Alaska, March 30, 1998
On March 30, 1998 at about 6:20 pm local time, a Piper J5-C, registered N4769C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Valdez, 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 owner/pilot mechanic's improper overhaul of the engine, and lack of proper lubricating cylinder grease. A factor in the accident was the lack of a suitable area for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 1998 · about 6:20 pm local time
- Place
- Valdez, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J5-C · all J5-Cs on the register
- Registration
- N4769C · no longer on the register · serial 5-1474
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who also held a mechanic certificates, had overhauled the airplane engine. The accident flight was the first flight since the overhaul. About 5 minutes after departure, the engine lost power. The pilot restarted the engine, but it only ran another 45 seconds before stopping again. The pilot selected an emergency landing area on a highway, but had to slip the airplane to avoid several vehicles on the highway. The airplane collided with a power line about 25 feet above the ground, and then descended to the ground. Disassembly of the engine revealed all the engine cylinders were scored. The pilot had installed chrome cylinders, and during the assembly, he applied a coating of light grease to each engine cylinder bore. According to an FAA inspector, the engine cylinders required an application of a thicker grease than what was used by the pilot.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,381 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 3,100 as pilot in command; 700 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,028 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 28, 1998; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VDZ at 6:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
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.