Piper J3 N7092H accident near Ft. Yukon, Alaska

Probable cause

The pilot's improper preflight inspection and in-flight fuel management, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing.

NTSB analysis

The private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight. The pilot reported that, during the flight, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot made a forced landing in a burned out area of trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.

The pilot reported the accident about 6 months after it occurred. The pilot reported that, after the forced landing, he noted that the right fuel tank cap was missing and that the fuel in the right fuel tank was depleted. The fuel selector was selected to the right fuel tank when the engine lost power, and the pilot stated that he did not attempt to switch the fuel selector to the left fuel tank. The airplane was never recovered or examined; however, given the pilot's statement, it is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC14LA091 for the full record.