# Accident 19990824040109A: Piper PA18150, Saddle Island, ME, August 24, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 24, 1999, 16:30 local time
- Place: Saddle Island, ME
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.1790° N, 68.9645° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Saddle Island, ME, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.1790&lon=-68.9645&mi=10
- Aircraft: N98PK, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N98PK) (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 PA18150
- Reported engine: LYC O320A2B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 2,820 total, 61 in this make and model, 48 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC99FA210](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99FA210) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990824040109A

## Narrative

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

(.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.

## 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 NYC99FA210](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99FA210), Aug 24, 1999: Piper PA-18-150 (N98PK), Saddle Island, ME, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from trees.

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.

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