Piper PA-18-150 accident near Fairfield, Pennsylvania, December 19, 1998
On December 19, 1998 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N82096, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairfield, Pennsylvania (Mid Atlantic Soaring Ctr airport). 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 pilot's failure to properly use carburetor heat which resulted in carburetor ice and loss of engine power. Contributing factor were trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 19, 1998 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fairfield, Pennsylvania · Mid Atlantic Soaring Ctr · 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 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N82096 · registry record · serial 18-7909053
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was returning to land after releasing a glider. Two miles from the airport, the pilot established the airplane on final, selected flaps down, and noticed that the left fuel tank was 'half full' and the right fuel tank was a 'little less' then half full. The pilot repositioned the fuel selector to the left tank, and 1 minute later and 1,000 feet above the ground, the engine experienced a loss of power. After unsuccessfully attempting a restart, the pilot reselected the right fuel tank, pulled the carburetor heat, pumped the throttle, and attempted another start. When the engine did not respond, the pilot completed the forced landing, and the airplane was substantially damaged during rollout. After the accident the engine idled smoothly. The fuel selector was switched between left tank, right tank, and off. The engine stopped only when close to the off detent. According to the FAA publication, 'Tips On Winter Flying,' the accident conditions bordered between serious icing with glide power, and serious icing with cruise or climb power. In addition, the publication stated that, 'Carburetor heat should be used whenever atmospheric conditions indicate icing is a possibility and the engine is being operated at 75 percent power and below.'
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,570 hours in all; 159 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 2,398 as pilot in command; 988 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,306 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 11, 1998; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: W73 at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 12 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from HGR, 34 miles away
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.