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19990824040109A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Saddle Island, ME · August 24, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 24, 1999 · 16:30 local
Place
Saddle Island, ME
Phase of flight
Unauth Low Level Opns
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N98PK
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC99FA210
Reported as
Piper PA18150
Reported engine
Lycoming O320A2B
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
2,820 total61 in this make and model48 in the last 90 days
N98PKRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 188157 · Built 1964Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4)A witness who was located on a vessel in the water observed the airplane flying in a northerly direction, parallel a shoreline, about 500 feet above the water. About 1 minute later the witness observed the airplane on a southerly heading. The airplane was 'low and slow, about tree top level.' As the airplane passed by, 'the nose came up and the tail went down.' The tail struck a tree and the airplane veered to the left. The edge of the left wing hit a second tree, and the airplane rotated to the left. The left wing then dropped as the right wing struck trees. The witness further stated that 'the airplane was under full power, like he wanted to get out of there.' Since completing an airplane single engine seaplane rating, the pilot logged a total of 26.1 hours in the accident airplane with floats attached to the airframe. The pilot's total airplane single engine seaplane experience was 32.1 hours. (-23) aircraft flying at low altitude struck a tree with the right wing causing loss of control.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)A WITNESS WHO WAS LOCATED ON A VESSEL IN THE WATER OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLYING IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION, PARALLEL A SHORELINE, ABOUT 500 FEET ABOVE THE WATER. ABOUT 1 MINUTE LATER THE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE ON A SOUTHERLY HEADING. THE AIRPLANE WAS 'LOW AND SLOW, ABOUT TREE TOP LEVEL.' AS THE AIRPLANE PASSED BY, 'THE NOSE CAME UP AND THE TAIL WENT DOWN.' THE TAIL STRUCK A TREE AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT. THE EDGE OF THE LEFT WING HIT A SECOND TREE, AND THE AIRPLANE ROTATED TO THE LEFT. THE LEFT WING THEN DROPPED AS THE RIGHT WING STRUCK TREES. THE WITNESS FURTHER STATED THAT 'THE AIRPLANE WAS UNDER FULL POWER, LIKE HE WANTED TO GET OUT OF THERE.' SINCE COMPLETING AN AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE SEAPLANE RATING, THE PILOT LOGGED A TOTAL OF 26.1 HOURS IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WITH FLOATS ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME. THE PILOT'S TOTAL AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE SEAPLANE EXPERIENCE WAS 32.1 HOURS. (-23) AIRCRAFT FLYING AT LOW ALTITUDE STRUCK A TREE WITH THE RIGHT WING CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC99FA210Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportSaddle Island, METhe pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from trees.Aug 24, 1999 · Substantial damage