What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) Tip tank found floating in clalum bay, near Neah Bay, WA on 10/04/98. Aircraft departed haines, Alaska at approximately 1300 adt on 10/03/98. No flight plan filed. No indication that fuel stops were made. Apparent flight destination was seattle, WA. Final trip destination was Michigan. Aircraft reported missing by relatives on 10/14/98. No additional debris located. (.4) the certificated private pilot departed a rural airport in Alaska on a VFR cross country flight along remote, coastal terrain, without filing a flight plan. Ten days later, the airplane was reported overdue when it did not arrive at a possible intermediate stop in the seattle, Washington, area, or at the pilot's planned destination in Michigan. After the overdue report, coast guard personnel in Alaska began to gather data about the airplane, pilot, and possible routes. They were not aware that a wing mounted auxiliary fuel tank had been found the day after the airplane departed, in the port angeles, Washington, area. On the day the fuel tank was found, coast guard personnel from port angeles conducted a search for other debris, but found none. Since the pilot did not file a flight plan, coast guar d and FAA personnel in the seattle area did not have any reports of overdue airplanes. After the airplane was reported overdue, FAA personnel in Alaska recalled a report of the fuel tank being found in the seattle area. The missing airplane report, and the fuel tank, were eventually linked together. Family members positively identified the fuel tank as part of the accident airplane. The pilot is presumed to have received fatal injuries. After an additional search, no other parts of the airplane have been located. Weather data in the port angeles area on the presumed day of the accident, included a wide area of rain showers. (-23) tip tank found floating in clalum bay, near Neah Bay, WA on 10/04/98.aircraft departed haines, Alaska at approximately 1300 adt on 10/03/98. No flight plan filed. No indication that fuel stops were made. Apparent flight destination was seattle, WA. Final trip destination was Michigan. Aircraft reported missing by relatives on 10/14/98. No additional debris located.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) TIP TANK FOUND FLOATING IN CLALUM BAY, NEAR NEAH BAY, WA ON 10/04/98. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED HAINES, ALASKA AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 ADT ON 10/03/98. NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. NO INDICATION THAT FUEL STOPS WERE MADE. APPARENT FLIGHT DESTINATION WAS SEATTLE, WA. FINAL TRIP DESTINATION WAS MICHIGAN. AIRCRAFT REPORTED MISSING BY RELATIVES ON 10/14/98. NO ADDITIONAL DEBRIS LOCATED. (.4) THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED A RURAL AIRPORT IN ALASKA ON A VFR CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT ALONG REMOTE, COASTAL TERRAIN, WITHOUT FILING A FLIGHT PLAN. TEN DAYS LATER, THE AIRPLANE WAS REPORTED OVERDUE WHEN IT DID NOT ARRIVE AT A POSSIBLE INTERMEDIATE STOP IN THE SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, AREA, OR AT THE PILOT'S PLANNED DESTINATION IN MICHIGAN. AFTER THE OVERDUE REPORT, COAST GUARD PERSONNEL IN ALASKA BEGAN TO GATHER DATA ABOUT THE AIRPLANE, PILOT, AND POSSIBLE ROUTES. THEY WERE NOT AWARE THAT A WING MOUNTED AUXILIARY FUEL TANK HAD BEEN FOUND THE DAY AFTER THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED, IN THE PORT ANGELES, WASHINGTON, AREA. ON THE DAY THE FUEL TANK WAS FOUND, COAST GUARD PERSONNEL FROM PORT ANGELES CONDUCTED A SEARCH FOR OTHER DEBRIS, BUT FOUND NONE. SINCE THE PILOT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN, COAST GUAR D AND FAA PERSONNEL IN THE SEATTLE AREA DID NOT HAVE ANY REPORTS OF OVERDUE AIRPLANES. AFTER THE AIRPLANE WAS REPORTED OVERDUE, FAA PERSONNEL IN ALASKA RECALLED A REPORT OF THE FUEL TANK BEING FOUND IN THE SEATTLE AREA. THE MISSING AIRPLANE REPORT, AND THE FUEL TANK, WERE EVENTUALLY LINKED TOGETHER. FAMILY MEMBERS POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED THE FUEL TANK AS PART OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. THE PILOT IS PRESUMED TO HAVE RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. AFTER AN ADDITIONAL SEARCH, NO OTHER PARTS OF THE AIRPLANE HAVE BEEN LOCATED. WEATHER DATA IN THE PORT ANGELES AREA ON THE PRESUMED DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, INCLUDED A WIDE AREA OF RAIN SHOWERS. (-23) TIP TANK FOUND FLOATING IN CLALUM BAY, NEAR NEAH BAY, WA ON 10/04/98.AIRCRAFT DEPARTED HAINES, ALASKA AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 ADT ON 10/03/98. NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. NO INDICATION THAT FUEL STOPS WERE MADE. APPARENT FLIGHT DESTINATION WAS SEATTLE, WA. FINAL TRIP DESTINATION WAS MICHIGAN. AIRCRAFT REPORTED MISSING BY RELATIVES ON 10/14/98. NO ADDITIONAL DEBRIS LOCATED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.