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ANC90LA093

1990-06-21 · BIG LAKE, Alaska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport BGQ

Current FAA registration · N4431Z

Make / Model
PIPER PA-18-150
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A55855

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS RESULTING IN AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING IN A DITCH.

Factual narrative

THE AIRPLANE HAD SPENT THREE YEARS IN THE SHOP BEING REBUILT AND THIS WAS ITS FIRST FLIGHT. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TOPPED OFF THE FUEL TANKS, PERFORMED A RUNUP AND THEN SAT ON THE END OF THE RUNWAY WHILE HE ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE COMMUNICATION RADIO. HE THEN TAXIED ONTO THE RUNWAY AND STARTED THE TAKEOFF. UPON REACHING 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND HE REDUCED THE POWER BY 200 RPM AND THE ENGINE DIED SUDDENLY. HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON A ROAD STRAIGHT AHEAD. THE AIRPLANE LANDED SHORT IN THE DITCH. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION AND ENGINE RUN SHOWED NO MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES WITH THE ENGINE OR AIRPLANE FUEL SYSTEM. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_ANC90LA093.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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