Piper PA-18-150 accident near St. Augustine, Florida, November 14, 2022
On November 14, 2022 at about 4:34 pm local time, a 1976 Piper PA-18-150, registered N9858P, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near St. Augustine, Florida. It was an aerial observation 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’s failure to appropriately use carburetor heat, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 2022 · about 4:34 pm local time
- Place
- St. Augustine, Florida · 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, built 1976 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N9858P · registry record · serial 18-7709006
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aerial observation pilot was mapping costal erosion; about 2 hours and 20 minutes into the flight, the engine “sputtered” three times over the course of 30 to 60 seconds before completely losing power. The pilot then began troubleshooting the loss of engine power while searching for a forced landing location. The pilot landed the airplane on a relatively sparsely populated area of the beach below. During the landing, the main landing gear dug into the sand and the airplane nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the engine mounts, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. Postaccident examination of the airplane’s engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures. The temperature and dewpoint conditions about the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of “serious icing at glide [idle] power.” Given the lack of any mechanical anomalies observed during the postaccident examination of the engine, it is likely that the loss of engine power was due to carburetor icing. Additionally, the pilot reported that he did not begin troubleshooting the engine anomalies until after the total power loss had occurred. Had the pilot used carburetor heat to prevent the formation of carburetor ice, or applied it immediately after the engine roughness began, the loss of engine power may have been avoided.
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
What happened, in order
- Fuel related during maneuvering defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine bleed air system › Engine anti › icing system › Not used/operated
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,572.7 hours in all; 593.3 in this make and model; 158.6 in the last 90 days; 94.8 in the last 30 days; 1,486.8 as pilot in command; 321.5 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 28, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,323.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4P (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Smg Drones LLC
The flight
- Departed from: DAB Daytona Beach FL at 9:10 am
- Destination: SGJ Saint Augustine FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.16 inHg
- Observation at 4:43 pm from SGJ, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): SPECI KSGJ 141643Z 01013G20KT 8SM BKN034 BKN047 21/19 A3016 RMK AO2=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 ERA23LA066.