# Accident 19990507004739A: Aronca 15AC, Pedro Bay, AK, May 7, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 7, 1999, 18:25 local time - Place: Pedro Bay, AK - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Normal Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 59.8605° N, 154.0291° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=59.8605&lon=-154.0291&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1315H, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1315H-2012-06-12) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Aeronca 15AC (registry code 0191202, https://openairdocs.org/model/aeronca-15ac) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Franklin 6A4165 series (registry code 27025, https://openairdocs.org/engine/franklin-6a4165-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ARONCA 15AC - Reported engine: FRNKLN 6A4165* - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,500 total, 50 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC99LA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA060) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990507004739A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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.' ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ANC99LA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA060), May 8, 1999: Aeronca 15AC (N1315H), Pedro Bay, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: A separation of the number 3 engine cylinder head assembly, and a burned through fuel line. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.