What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Landing on remote beach. Wind gust blew PA18 over water. Wing hit a wave. Sank. (.4) on may 23, 1998, about 0800 alask daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N4058Z, was destroyed after colliding with ocean surf, about 30 miles southwest of Cold Bay, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under title 14 CFR part 91 when the accident occurred. The private pilot/airplane owner and the one passenger aboard were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Cold Bay airport, at 0611. During a telephone conversation with the national transportation safety board investigator-in-charge on may 28, the pilot reported that he was landing to the west on a remote beach adjacent to the bering sea. When the airplane touched down, the left wing lifted, and the pilotattempted to abort the landing by applying full power and full left aileron. The airplane became airborne, veered to the right over the tidal surf, and collided with a large wave. The airplane sank, and the two occupants swam about 50 yards to shore. The pilot stated that he was unable to obtain full aileron deflection due to the control stick contacting the flap actuation lever. No attempt has been made to recover the airplane wreckage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. He wrote in his written statement that wind conditions at the time of the accident were about 220 degrees at 8 knots. (-23) on may 23, 1998 at approx. 0800 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped airplane, Piper PA-18 N4058Z, was destroyed when it collided with the water while landing on a beach in the vicinity of bechevin bay, Alaska. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The FAR part 91 flight was operated in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. During an interview with an aviation safety inspector on 06-10-98, the pilot stated that he was trying to land on a sloped beach with an on-shore wind of about 10 or 15 knots and due to the slope of the beach could not get the right main gear to the sand without the a/c yawing to the left. When the right main gear did finally touch the sand it dug in and the pilot attempted to takeoff and struck the surf with the right main gear and mushed into the water.
As the FAA filed it
LANDING ON REMOTE BEACH. WIND GUST BLEW PA18 OVER WATER. WING HIT A WAVE. SANK. (.4) ON MAY 23, 1998, ABOUT 0800 ALASK DAYLIGHT TIME, A TUNDRA TIRE EQUIPPED PIPER PA-18 AIRPLANE, N4058Z, WAS DESTROYED AFTER COLLIDING WITH OCEAN SURF, ABOUT 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF COLD BAY, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE PRIVATE PILOT/AIRPLANE OWNER AND THE ONE PASSENGER ABOARD WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE COLD BAY AIRPORT, AT 0611. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE ON MAY 28, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS LANDING TO THE WEST ON A REMOTE BEACH ADJACENT TO THE BERING SEA. WHEN THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, THE LEFT WING LIFTED, AND THE PILOTATTEMPTED TO ABORT THE LANDING BY APPLYING FULL POWER AND FULL LEFT AILERON. THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE, VEERED TO THE RIGHT OVER THE TIDAL SURF, AND COLLIDED WITH A LARGE WAVE. THE AIRPLANE SANK, AND THE TWO OCCUPANTS SWAM ABOUT 50 YARDS TO SHORE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN FULL AILERON DEFLECTION DUE TO THE CONTROL STICK CONTACTING THE FLAP ACTUATION LEVER. NO ATTEMPT HAS BEEN MADE TO RECOVER THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO PREACCIDENT MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE. HE WROTE IN HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT THAT WIND CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE ABOUT 220 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS. (-23) ON MAY 23, 1998 AT APPROX. 0800 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE, PIPER PA-18 N4058Z, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE WATER WHILE LANDING ON A BEACH IN THE VICINITY OF BECHEVIN BAY, ALASKA. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FAR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATED IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH AN AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR ON 06-10-98, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS TRYING TO LAND ON A SLOPED BEACH WITH AN ON-SHORE WIND OF ABOUT 10 OR 15 KNOTS AND DUE TO THE SLOPE OF THE BEACH COULD NOT GET THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR TO THE SAND WITHOUT THE A/C YAWING TO THE LEFT. WHEN THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR DID FINALLY TOUCH THE SAND IT DUG IN AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF AND STRUCK THE SURF WITH THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR AND MUSHED INTO THE WATER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.