NTSB ANC89FA143 — 1989-08-18 · ANCHORAGE, Alaska, United States

Current FAA registration · N5417H

Make / Model: PIPER PA-19
Year of manufacture: 1949 · 40 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR C90 SERIES (95 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19551221
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A6DEF8

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N5417H Piper PA-19 None

Probable cause & findings

OPERATION WITH A KNOWN DEFICIENCY IN THE AIRCRAFT AND WATER CONTAMINATION OF THE FUEL DUE TO INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PREPARATION BY THE PILOT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING AND TREE(S).

Factual narrative

THE PLT RPRTD THAT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENG BGN TO LOSE PWR. HE WAS UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE SEAPLANE BASE OR FINDANOTHER SUITABLE LNDG SITE. WHEN HE ATMTD TO LND ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET, THE ACFT HIT A TREE, THEN CRASHED, HITTING APOSTBOX & FENCE. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES THAT WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NML FLT. THE CARBURETORWAS DISASSEMBLED & WAS FOUND TO CONTAIN MORE THAN 1/4 INCH OF WATER. THE PLT STATED THAT HE HAD EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSSOF POWER APRX 2 WEEKS EARLIER, BUT MADE A SUCCESSFUL FORCED LANDING. HE DRAINED A LARGE QUANTITY OF WATER FROM THE RIGHTFUEL TANK (AS BEST HE COULD), BUT DECIDED TO OPERATE THE ACFT BY JUST USING THE LEFT FUEL TANK. HE SAID THAT HE USED THELEFT TANK FOR TAKEOFF ON THE ACDNT FLT, BUT AFTER THE OCCURRENCE, HE WAS CONCERNED THAT WATER FROM THE RIGHT TANK MAYHAVE CONTAMINATED THE REST OF THE FUEL SYSTEM. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_ANC89FA143.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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