19980415006889A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Grumav G21 · Unalaska, AK · April 15, 1998

Date: April 15, 1998 · 11:45 local
Place: Unalaska, AK
Airport: Unalaska
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: PNSA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N22932
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC98LA038
Reported as: Grumav G21
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney R985AN14B
People aboard: 9
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,136 total83 in this make and model83 in the last 90 days

N22932Registered now · Grumman G-21AS/N B-139 · Built 1946 Airframe modelGrumman G-21A Engine modelPratt & Whitney R-985 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Unable land amphibian at dut. Landed on wataer to await clearing. Porpoised on a swell damaged horizontal stabilize. (From .4) the pilot landed the seaplane in a protected bay in order to wait for the weather to improve at his destination. He said the wind and seas were calm; however, during the landing roll, the seaplane encountered a swell. The seaplane porposed, and the left horizontal stabilizer contacted the water. (-23) on April 15, 1998, at about 12:00 adt a Grumman goose G-21-A sustained substantial damage while making a water landing. After touchdown, the aircraft impacted swells damaging the left horizontal stabilizer, and the left elevator. This occurred near dutch harbor, Alaska following the accident the pilot called company operations and a rescue boat was dispatched to pick up the passengers. After evacuation of passengers to the rescue boat, the pilot water taxied the aircraft back to dutch harbor, AK. VFR conditions prevailed, no injuries occurred.

As the FAA filed it

UNABLE LAND AMPHIBIAN AT DUT. LANDED ON WATAER TO AWAIT CLEARING. PORPOISED ON A SWELL DAMAGED HORIZONTAL STABILIZE. (FROM .4) THE PILOT LANDED THE SEAPLANE IN A PROTECTED BAY IN ORDER TO WAIT FOR THE WEATHER TO IMPROVE AT HIS DESTINATION. HE SAID THE WIND AND SEAS WERE CALM; HOWEVER, DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE SEAPLANE ENCOUNTERED A SWELL. THE SEAPLANE PORPOSED, AND THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER CONTACTED THE WATER. (-23) ON APRIL 15, 1998, AT ABOUT 12:00 ADT A GRUMMAN GOOSE G-21-A SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHILE MAKING A WATER LANDING. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED SWELLS DAMAGING THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, AND THE LEFT ELEVATOR. THIS OCCURRED NEAR DUTCH HARBOR, ALASKA FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT CALLED COMPANY OPERATIONS AND A RESCUE BOAT WAS DISPATCHED TO PICK UP THE PASSENGERS. AFTER EVACUATION OF PASSENGERS TO THE RESCUE BOAT, THE PILOT WATER TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO DUTCH HARBOR, AK. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED, NO INJURIES OCCURRED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC98LA038Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportDutch Harbor, AKThe pilot-in-command's failure to identify the swells prior to landing. A factor was the water swells.Apr 15, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N22932 · 5

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20040404006449ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Unalaska, AK(-23) The flying pilot at the time of the accident was the second-in-command (SIC), [privacy data omitted]. [privacy data omitted] Had received a 14 CFR, part 135.293 & 135.299 proficiency/line checkride the same day and just prior to the accident. A pnsa…Apr 4, 2004 · Substantial damage Incident 19930107000249ILevel Off Touchdown · Akutan, AKOn water landing pilot reported wind gust. Bounced. Aircraft then hit water with left wing low. Float broke off.Jan 7, 1993 · Minor damage Incident 19861107072769IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Kodiak, AKDuring turn wing float submerged and float attachment fitting broke. Float separated and aircraft capsized.Nov 7, 1986 · Minor damage Accident 19790917036239ATo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · Catalina Island, CAElevator control cable parted just after liftoff. Amphibian hit water, nose down, sank.Sep 17, 1979 · Substantial damage · 1 fatal Incident 19790307018879IForced/Precautionary Landing · Long Beach, CALeft engine quit, right engine ran intermittently during takeoff. Probable fuel cell design problem plus line clog.Mar 7, 1979 · Minor damage