What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed en route and sustained substantial damage, other circumstances are unknown. (From .19) on may 7, 1999, about 1825 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Aeronca 15AC airplane, N1315H, sustained substantial damage during an emergency landing and ditching, about 35 miles east of Pedro by, 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 solo commercial pilot sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Pedro by airport, about 1800, and was destined for soldotna, Alaska. During a telephone conversation with the national transportation safety board investigator-in-charge on may 8, the pilot reported that while climbing through 7,000 feet MSL, approaching the coast of chinitna bay, he smelled smoke in the airplane, followed by a rough running engine. He made a 180 degree turn to return to Pedro Bay, and then saw smoke and flames coming from underneath the floor boards adjacent to the rudder peddles. He then advised the kenai flight service station (fss) that he was making an emerg ency decent, the airplane cabin filled with smoke, hindering his vision. The pilot said that the top portion of the clamshell door was torn off when he attempted to clear the smoke from the cockpit area by opening the door during the emergency decent. The pilot said, in part: "my legs were on fire and I just wanted to put the fire out, and get the airplane on the ground." The pilot landed in the water, just short of the beach, and the airplane nosed over upon touchdown. After ditching, the fire was self-extinguished by ocean water, and the pilot waded ashore. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, and fuselage. (-23) on may 7, 1999 at 1825 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Aeronca 15AC airplane, N1315H sustained substantial damage during an emergency landing and ditching in chinitna bay, about 35 miles east of Pedro Bay, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules personal flight under title 14, CFR part 91 when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Pedro Bay airport at 1800, and was destined for the soldotna, a laska airport. The pilot stated that when approaching chinitna bay at seven thousand feet, he radioed his position report to kenai flight service. A minute later he experienced a rough running engine with a decrease of engine power, this condition was radioed to flight service, and advised an emergency landing might be necessary on a beach of chinitna bay. Immediately following this transmission, the pilot noticed he was on fire and an emergency descent was executed. During the descent, the pilot opened the swing-up door to evacuate the smoke, the wind blew the door off. Airspeed was above the red line of 126 mph. Because of the fire, the pilot decided to land in the water. The airplane flipped over when landing about ten yards from shore in one and a half to two feet of water. The ocean water extinguished the fire on landing and the pilot evacuated the airplane and waded ashore. The pilot received serious burns on both hands and to his lower legs. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Investigation revealed a blown number three cylinder. It appears during the cylinder failure, the vibration shook loose the left engine exhaust pipe which then directedthe exhaust onto the fuel line to the carburetor which caused the fire. (.4) the certificated commercial pilot reported that while climbing through 7,000 feet MSL, he smelled smoke in the airplane, followed by a rough running engine. During an emergency descent, he saw smoke and flames coming from underneath the floor boards adjacent to the rudder pedals. The pilot elected to ditch the airplane in shallow ocean water, just short of the beach. Upon touchdown, the airplane nosed over. The pilot said, in part: 'my legs were on fire and I just wanted to put the fire out, and get the airplane on the ground.' An FAA airworthiness inspector traveled to the accident scene, and examined the airplane wreckage. He said that upon closer inspection of the engine, it was discovered that the top portion of the number three cylinder was separated between the cylinder barrel, and the cylinder head. He added that the main fuel supply line was burned through, and disconnected from the carburetor inlet fitting. In his written statement the FAA inspector wrote, in part: '...the vibration shook loose the left engine exhaust pipe which then directed the exhaust onto the fuel line to the carburetor whi ch caused the fire.'
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED EN ROUTE AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (FROM .19) ON MAY 7, 1999, ABOUT 1825 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED AERONCA 15AC AIRPLANE, N1315H, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING AND DITCHING, ABOUT 35 MILES EAST OF PEDRO BY, 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 SOLO COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE PEDRO BY AIRPORT, ABOUT 1800, AND WAS DESTINED FOR SOLDOTNA, ALASKA. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE ON MAY 8, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 7,000 FEET MSL, APPROACHING THE COAST OF CHINITNA BAY, HE SMELLED SMOKE IN THE AIRPLANE, FOLLOWED BY A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE. HE MADE A 180 DEGREE TURN TO RETURN TO PEDRO BAY, AND THEN SAW SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE FLOOR BOARDS ADJACENT TO THE RUDDER PEDDLES. HE THEN ADVISED THE KENAI FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (FSS) THAT HE WAS MAKING AN EMERG ENCY DECENT, THE AIRPLANE CABIN FILLED WITH SMOKE, HINDERING HIS VISION. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE TOP PORTION OF THE CLAMSHELL DOOR WAS TORN OFF WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO CLEAR THE SMOKE FROM THE COCKPIT AREA BY OPENING THE DOOR DURING THE EMERGENCY DECENT. THE PILOT SAID, IN PART: "MY LEGS WERE ON FIRE AND I JUST WANTED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT, AND GET THE AIRPLANE ON THE GROUND." THE PILOT LANDED IN THE WATER, JUST SHORT OF THE BEACH, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER UPON TOUCHDOWN. AFTER DITCHING, THE FIRE WAS SELF-EXTINGUISHED BY OCEAN WATER, AND THE PILOT WADED ASHORE. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, AND FUSELAGE. (-23) ON MAY 7, 1999 AT 1825 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED AERONCA 15AC AIRPLANE, N1315H SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING AND DITCHING IN CHINITNA BAY, ABOUT 35 MILES EAST OF PEDRO BAY, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE PEDRO BAY AIRPORT AT 1800, AND WAS DESTINED FOR THE SOLDOTNA, A LASKA AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHEN APPROACHING CHINITNA BAY AT SEVEN THOUSAND FEET, HE RADIOED HIS POSITION REPORT TO KENAI FLIGHT SERVICE. A MINUTE LATER HE EXPERIENCED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE WITH A DECREASE OF ENGINE POWER, THIS CONDITION WAS RADIOED TO FLIGHT SERVICE, AND ADVISED AN EMERGENCY LANDING MIGHT BE NECESSARY ON A BEACH OF CHINITNA BAY. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THIS TRANSMISSION, THE PILOT NOTICED HE WAS ON FIRE AND AN EMERGENCY DESCENT WAS EXECUTED. DURING THE DESCENT, THE PILOT OPENED THE SWING-UP DOOR TO EVACUATE THE SMOKE, THE WIND BLEW THE DOOR OFF. AIRSPEED WAS ABOVE THE RED LINE OF 126 MPH. BECAUSE OF THE FIRE, THE PILOT DECIDED TO LAND IN THE WATER. THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED OVER WHEN LANDING ABOUT TEN YARDS FROM SHORE IN ONE AND A HALF TO TWO FEET OF WATER. THE OCEAN WATER EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE ON LANDING AND THE PILOT EVACUATED THE AIRPLANE AND WADED ASHORE. THE PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS BURNS ON BOTH HANDS AND TO HIS LOWER LEGS. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED A BLOWN NUMBER THREE CYLINDER. IT APPEARS DURING THE CYLINDER FAILURE, THE VIBRATION SHOOK LOOSE THE LEFT ENGINE EXHAUST PIPE WHICH THEN DIRECTEDTHE EXHAUST ONTO THE FUEL LINE TO THE CARBURETOR WHICH CAUSED THE FIRE. (.4) THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 7,000 FEET MSL, HE SMELLED SMOKE IN THE AIRPLANE, FOLLOWED BY A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE. DURING AN EMERGENCY DESCENT, HE SAW SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE FLOOR BOARDS ADJACENT TO THE RUDDER PEDALS. THE PILOT ELECTED TO DITCH THE AIRPLANE IN SHALLOW OCEAN WATER, JUST SHORT OF THE BEACH. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE PILOT SAID, IN PART: 'MY LEGS WERE ON FIRE AND I JUST WANTED TO PUT THE FIRE OUT, AND GET THE AIRPLANE ON THE GROUND.' AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR TRAVELED TO THE ACCIDENT SCENE, AND EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE. HE SAID THAT UPON CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TOP PORTION OF THE NUMBER THREE CYLINDER WAS SEPARATED BETWEEN THE CYLINDER BARREL, AND THE CYLINDER HEAD. HE ADDED THAT THE MAIN FUEL SUPPLY LINE WAS BURNED THROUGH, AND DISCONNECTED FROM THE CARBURETOR INLET FITTING. IN HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT THE FAA INSPECTOR WROTE, IN PART: '...THE VIBRATION SHOOK LOOSE THE LEFT ENGINE EXHAUST PIPE WHICH THEN DIRECTED THE EXHAUST ONTO THE FUEL LINE TO THE CARBURETOR WHI CH CAUSED THE FIRE.'
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.