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20120907020849A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Mccarty Fjord, AK · September 7, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 7, 2012 · 19:45 local
Place
Mccarty Fjord, AK
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N3214D
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC12LA103
Reported as
Piper PA-18-150
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
6,200 total4,500 in this make and model55 in the last 90 days
N3214DRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-8209025Airframe 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.

The PIC went to Mccarty Fjord for a fishing trip. Upon reaching the Fjord he overflew the beach area which he has landed on many times before between 400 to 500 feet to visually check the beach before landing. After checking the beach and determining that it was good to land he continued around to land. On down-wind he applied carburetor heat and reduced power, turned base then final. He said that the engine didn't sound right and added power but the engine was not running. He swithced fuel tanks and pumped the throttle but the engine would not restart. He could not make the part of the beach that was good for landing and the only alternative was to land in the water. The part of the beach that he could have made was full of big boulders. The aircraft flipped over on its back upon landing in the water. The PIC got out of the aircraft onto the bottom of the wing with no injury. The PIC grabbed his sleeping bag, tent and ELT out of the back of the aircraft and swam to shore. The aircraft, floating by way of the tundra tires, drifted out to sea and was a total loss.

As the FAA filed it

THE PIC WENT TO MCCARTY FJORD FOR A FISHING TRIP. UPON REACHING THE FJORD HE OVERFLEW THE BEACH AREA WHICH HE HAS LANDED ON MANY TIMES BEFORE BETWEEN 400 TO 500 FEET TO VISUALLY CHECK THE BEACH BEFORE LANDING. AFTER CHECKING THE BEACH AND DETERMINING THAT IT WAS GOOD TO LAND HE CONTINUED AROUND TO LAND. ON DOWN-WIND HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT AND REDUCED POWER, TURNED BASE THEN FINAL. HE SAID THAT THE ENGINE DIDN'T SOUND RIGHT AND ADDED POWER BUT THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING. HE SWITHCED FUEL TANKS AND PUMPED THE THROTTLE BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. HE COULD NOT MAKE THE PART OF THE BEACH THAT WAS GOOD FOR LANDING AND THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE WAS TO LAND IN THE WATER. THE PART OF THE BEACH THAT HE COULD HAVE MADE WAS FULL OF BIG BOULDERS. THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK UPON LANDING IN THE WATER. THE PIC GOT OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT ONTO THE BOTTOM OF THE WING WITH NO INJURY. THE PIC GRABBED HIS SLEEPING BAG, TENT AND ELT OUT OF THE BACK OF THE AIRCRAFT AND SWAM TO SHORE. THE AIRCRAFT, FLOATING BY WAY OF THE TUNDRA TIRES, DRIFTED OUT TO SEA AND WAS A TOTAL LOSS.

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 ANC12LA103Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHomer, AKThe total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because the engine could not be examined because of the extent of time in salt water.Sep 8, 2012 · Substantial damage