Accident Overview
On September 8, 2011, about 1400 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-18A-150 airplane, registration N2694P, sustained substantial damage during an off-airport emergency landing approximately 60 miles southeast of Galena, Alaska. The accident occurred after a complete loss of engine power. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a personal cross-country flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The solo pilot was not injured.
Flight History
The airplane had departed a hunting camp en route to Galena about 1340. During a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge on September 12, the pilot stated that the accident flight was the second flight of the day. Earlier in the day, he had attempted to fly to Galena but was forced back to the camp by weather. The pilot had borrowed the airplane for the hunting trip and was unfamiliar with the fuel system.
Fuel System
The airplane was equipped with modified fuel tanks and a digital fuel totalizer. The design of the tanks precluded visual inspection of the fuel quantity. According to the totalizer, the pilot should have had enough fuel for the trip. After the loss of engine power, the pilot attempted to land on the tundra, and the airplane nosed over.
Damage
During the nose-over, the airplane received substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and empennage.
Investigation
Due to the remote location, the airplane was not examined by the NTSB. Consequently, no determination of why the engine lost power could be made.