What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Engine coughed on climbout. Used carb heat engine smoothed out. Took heat off. Engine quit. Buckled floats landing. (.4)the pilot taxied with carburetor heat on, and removed it just before takeoff from a lake. The engine ran rough at 300 feet above the water during takeoff. The pilot applied carburetor heat and the engine smoothed out. The pilot removed carburetor heat, and the engine lost total power. The airplane landed on a gravel road at the end of the lake, collapsing the struts. Inspection of the airplane, engine, and carburetor revealed no anomalies. The engine operated normally on a test stand. The temperature dew point combination falls within the 'moderate icing - cruise power' range of the transport Canada carburetor icing chart. (-23) on July 18, 1998, at 1554 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N8162C, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after takeoff from the Lily lake seaplane base, Kodiak, Alaska. The airline transport pilot was not injured and the sole passenger sustained minor injuries. The flight was operated under 14 CFR part 91, as a personal flig ht. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot told the NTSB investigator on July 18, 1998, that he taxied with carburetor heat applied, and had a normal runup and magneto check prior to take off. He performed a takeoff with carburetor heat off, and during the initial climb, the engine "coughed." He said he applied carburetor heat and the engine smoothed out. He stated that he then removed carburetor heat and the engine lost total power. There was not enough room to turn back to the lake, so he landed on a road at the departure end of the lake. During the landing roll, the floats contacted soft gravel, and the float struts and fuselage buckled.
As the FAA filed it
ENGINE COUGHED ON CLIMBOUT. USED CARB HEAT ENGINE SMOOTHED OUT. TOOK HEAT OFF. ENGINE QUIT. BUCKLED FLOATS LANDING. (.4)THE PILOT TAXIED WITH CARBURETOR HEAT ON, AND REMOVED IT JUST BEFORE TAKEOFF FROM A LAKE. THE ENGINE RAN ROUGH AT 300 FEET ABOVE THE WATER DURING TAKEOFF. THE PILOT APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT AND THE ENGINE SMOOTHED OUT. THE PILOT REMOVED CARBURETOR HEAT, AND THE ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER. THE AIRPLANE LANDED ON A GRAVEL ROAD AT THE END OF THE LAKE, COLLAPSING THE STRUTS. INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE, ENGINE, AND CARBURETOR REVEALED NO ANOMALIES. THE ENGINE OPERATED NORMALLY ON A TEST STAND. THE TEMPERATURE DEW POINT COMBINATION FALLS WITHIN THE 'MODERATE ICING - CRUISE POWER' RANGE OF THE TRANSPORT CANADA CARBURETOR ICING CHART. (-23) ON JULY 18, 1998, AT 1554 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A FLOAT EQUIPPED PIPER PA-18 AIRPLANE, N8162C, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE LILY LAKE SEAPLANE BASE, KODIAK, ALASKA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED AND THE SOLE PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AS A PERSONAL FLIG HT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR ON JULY 18, 1998, THAT HE TAXIED WITH CARBURETOR HEAT APPLIED, AND HAD A NORMAL RUNUP AND MAGNETO CHECK PRIOR TO TAKE OFF. HE PERFORMED A TAKEOFF WITH CARBURETOR HEAT OFF, AND DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, THE ENGINE "COUGHED." HE SAID HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT AND THE ENGINE SMOOTHED OUT. HE STATED THAT HE THEN REMOVED CARBURETOR HEAT AND THE ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER. THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH ROOM TO TURN BACK TO THE LAKE, SO HE LANDED ON A ROAD AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE LAKE. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE FLOATS CONTACTED SOFT GRAVEL, AND THE FLOAT STRUTS AND FUSELAGE BUCKLED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.