Accident Overview
On September 5, 2013, about 1300 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Piper J3L-65 airplane, registration N38262, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near Nondalton, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the private pilot under visual flight rules (VFR) as a personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed; no flight plan had been filed.
Flight Details
The flight departed at about 1150 from the Keyes Point Airstrip, a private remote fly-in community approximately 18 miles southwest of Port Alsworth, Alaska. According to the pilot, the purpose was to scout for moose to hunt. While in level cruise flight, he heard a loud "pop," followed by a total loss of engine power. He executed a forced landing to an open, tundra-covered site. During the landing, the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage.
Search and Rescue
When the flight failed to return to Keyes Point Airstrip on the evening of September 5, a concerned family member of the passenger reported the airplane overdue. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officially received the overdue report at 1238 on September 6. Search personnel from the Civil Air Patrol, Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Air National Guard, and several volunteers were dispatched. No emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was received. The airplane was equipped with an older generation 121.5 MHz ELT; as of February 1, 2009, analog 121.5 MHz ELTs are no longer monitored by search and rescue satellites. Installation of 406 MHz ELTs is voluntary. Both types can be activated manually or automatically by impact.
On September 7, about 2151, the overturned wreckage was located by an Alaska State Trooper search airplane about 10 miles north-northwest of Nondalton. The two occupants were not found at the accident site. On September 8, about 1200, the uninjured occupants were located about 3 miles northwest of Nondalton.
Engine Inspection and Wreckage
The airplane was powered by a Continental Motors C-85 series engine. The insurance company sold the wreckage on an "as is, where is" basis. According to the new owner, a postaccident inspection revealed a fractured exhaust valve stem on the number four cylinder, which subsequently pulverized the electrodes on both spark plugs and severely damaged the piston. After replacing the number four cylinder, the engine was started and operated without further mechanical anomalies. The fractured valve stem was not made available to the NTSB for examination. The pilot did not submit the required 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report despite repeated requests.