19990718009289A

Crashed on landing. Other circumstances are unknown.(.19) on July 18, 1999, about 1900 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped paiper PA-18 airplane, N3675P, sustained substantial damage when it impacted ocean waters, about 19 miles south of Teller, Alaska. The solo commercial pilot was not on board the airplane when the accident occurred. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR part 91 as a personal flight, returning from an off airport, beach landing site, to nome, Alaska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed. The pilot told an FAA inspector during a telephone interview on July 20, that he had loaded the airplane to return to nome, and was starting the airplane by hand-propping the engine from outside the airplane. The pilot indicated that the throttle was advanced farther than he realized, and when the engine started, the airplane began to takeoff. The pilot said he attempted to hold onto the airplane, but was unable to do so. When he let go, the airplane became airborne, climbed to about 500 feet, and slowly turned toward the beach. The airplane crashed into the ocean about 100 feet from his location. He was reported overdue by a relative, and located by the crew of an Alaska national guard helicopter about 2100, on July 19. (.4)the commercial pilot stated in his NTSB pilot/operator report that he hand-propped the airplane. When the engine started, the throttle was farther forward than the pilot expected, and the plane began to move. The pilot said he attempted to hang on, but was unable to do so as the airplane accelerated. The airplane became airborne, then crashed into the ocean near the beach, sustaining substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. (-23)no narrative