# Accident 19990816012519A: Piper PA18, Seward, AK, August 16, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 16, 1999, 18:30 local time
- Place: Seward, AK
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 60.0500° N, 149.3302° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.0500&lon=-149.3302&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8841Y, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8841Y) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-18-150 (registry code 7101828, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-150) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA18
- Reported engine: LYC O320A2B
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,500 total, 800 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC99LA119](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA119) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990816012519A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(TTY) ACFT CRASHED ON LANDING AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON AUGUST 16, 1999, ABOUT 2000 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED PIPER PA-18 AIRPLANE, N8841Y, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A LANDING AT A BEACH ON MONTAGUE ISLAND, ABOUT 58 MILES EAST OF SEWARD, ALASKA.  THE AREA, KNOWN AS PATTON BAY, IS LOCATED AT LATITUDE 59 DEGREES, 55 MINUTES NORTH, AND LONGITUDE 147 DEGREES, 30 MINUTES WEST.  THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) CROSS-COUNTRY PERSONAL FLIGHT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.  THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT.  THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT, AND THE SOLE PASSENGER, WERE NOT INJURED.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC), ON AUGUST 18, 1999, THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS LANDING ON THE BEACH TO ASSESS DAMAGE TO A DISABLED AIRPLANE AT THE SAME LOCATION.  THE PILOT SAID HE LANDED IN THE AREA WHERE A HIGH TIDE HAD RECEDED.  DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRES ENTERED SOFT SAND, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER.  THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, TH E LEFT WING LIFT STRUT, AND THE RUDDER. (-23) THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH A QUARTERING TAILWIND OF APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 KNOTS ON A SALT WATER BEACH. THE LANDING SITE WAS SOFT AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AND ONTO ITS BACK CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. NO INJURIES RESULTED FROM THIS ACCIDENT.                                        (.4) THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS LANDING ON A REMOTE BEACH TO ASSESS DAMAGE TO A DISABLED AIRPLANE AT THE SAME LOCATION. THE PILOT SAID HE LANDED IN THE AREA WHERE A HIGH TIDE HAD RECEDED. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRES ENTERED SOFT SAND, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, THE LEFT WING LIFT STRUT, AND THE RUDDER.

## 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 ANC99LA119](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99LA119), Aug 17, 1999: Piper PA-18 (N8841Y), Seward, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing. A factor was soft sand.

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.