Piper PA-18-150 accident near Ava, New York, May 4, 2003
On May 4, 2003 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N9834P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ava, New York (Private Airfield). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight which did not detect the contamination in the fuel, and subsequent power loss due to contaminated fuel while operating over unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 2003 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ava, New York · Private Airfield · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N9834P · registry record · serial 18-7600034
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a power loss on initial climb at an altitude of about 150 feet AGL. He was unable to reach a suitable landing area and landed in the tops of trees. The investigation revealed the fuel selector valve had recently been replaced. To accomplishment the maintenance, the fuel in the tanks were drained into 5 gallon cans, and then after the replacement, it was poured back into the wing tanks. The gascolator was found filled with contamination. Only trace fuel was found forward of he gascolator, and in the carburetor. The pilot reported he had pre-flighted the airplane prior to departure. In addition, the pilot's medical had expired several years ago, and he had not completed a flight review in several years.
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: 800 hours in all; 650 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: June 1, 1989
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 893.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 20, 2003; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Ava NY at 1:30 pm
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from UCA, 11 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 NYC03LA098.