Piper PA-18A-150 accident near Winston, New Mexico, September 12, 1989
On September 12, 1989, a Piper PA-18A-150, registered N9496D, was destroyed in an accident near Winston, New Mexico (Beaverhead airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
DETERIORATED CARBURETOR FLOAT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND THE TERRAIN CONDITIONS IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 1989
- Place
- Winston, New Mexico · Beaverhead · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18A-150 · all PA-18A-150s on the register
- Registration
- N9496D · registry record · serial 18-6748
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT LEANED THE MIXTURE & TOOK OFF ON RWY 30, A HIGH ALT DIRT STRIP WITH A 3.8% UPHILL GRADIENT. WINDS WERE FROM THE NNW AT ABT 14 KTS. AT APRX 200' TO 300' AGL, THE ENG BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE ACFT SETTLED & CRASHED ON ROCKY TERRAIN AS THE PLT WAS AVOIDING TREES. FIRE CONSUMED THE ACFT. A TEARDOWN OF THE MARVEL-SCHEBLER MA4-SPA CARB REVEALED IT CONTAINED A COMPOSITE FLOAT (WHICH WAS DETERIORATED), PART OF THE FLOAT TOE WAS MISSING & THE NEEDLE VALVE WAS STUCK. THE VALVE & SEAT WERE COVERED WITH A SOFT/STICKY SUBSTANCE & THE INLET FILTER SCREEN WAS ALMOST ENTIRELY BLOCKED BY FOREIGN DEBRIS. AN STC HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR N9496D, WHICH ALLOWED USE OF AUTO FUEL.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,914 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 258 in the last 90 days; 98 in the last 30 days; 3,318 as pilot in command; 509 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,522 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 12, 1989; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 1E3
- Destination: NM51 Edgewood NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 3,840 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 325° at 14 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N9496D 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 DEN89LA214.