Piper PA-18 accident near Kodiak, Alaska, July 18, 1998
On July 18, 1998 at about 11:54 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N8162C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kodiak, Alaska (Kodiak (Lily Lake) airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to carburetor icing and the pilot's improper use of the carburetor heat control. A factor associated with the accident is the rough and uneven terrain at the forced landing area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1998 · about 11:54 pm local time
- Place
- Kodiak, Alaska · Kodiak (Lily Lake) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N8162C · no longer on the register · serial 18-3618
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot taxied with carburetor heat on, and removed it just before takeoff from a lake. The engine ran rough at 300 feet above the water during takeoff. The pilot applied carburetor heat and the engine smoothed out. The pilot removed carburetor heat, and the engine lost total power. The airplane landed on a gravel road at the end of the lake, collapsing the struts. Inspection of the airplane, engine, and carburetor revealed no anomalies. The engine operated normally on a test stand. The temperature dew point combination falls within the 'moderate icing - cruise power' range of the Transport Canada carburetor icing chart.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 23,670 hours in all; 10,000 in this make and model; 23,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,261 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 16, 1998; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9Z3 Lily Lake AK at 6:48 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 2,100 ft by 300 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 14,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from ADQ, 6 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N8162C 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.