20150720014409A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-135 · Dillingham, AK · July 20, 2015

Date: July 20, 2015 · 21:30 local
Place: Dillingham, AK
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8761C
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC15LA056
Reported as: Piper PA-18-135
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-290 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 889 total

N8761CRegistered now · Piper PA-18-135S/N 18-2848 · Built 1953 Airframe modelPiper PA-18-135 Engine modelLycoming 0-290 series4 cycle

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.

Aircraft was not making enough power. Pilot continued to rotate for takeoff instead of aborting. Witness report the aircraft in a nose high attitude, dragging the heels of the floats. Aicraft ran out of water and ran aground, flipping around. Both floats ripped off, right wing damaged.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS NOT MAKING ENOUGH POWER. PILOT CONTINUED TO ROTATE FOR TAKEOFF INSTEAD OF ABORTING. WITNESS REPORT THE AIRCRAFT IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, DRAGGING THE HEELS OF THE FLOATS. AICRAFT RAN OUT OF WATER AND RAN AGROUND, FLIPPING AROUND. BOTH FLOATS RIPPED OFF, RIGHT WING DAMAGED.

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 ANC15LA056Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportDillingham, AKThe pilot's failure to attain adequate airspeed during initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper decision to continue a takeoff even though the airplane was not airborne by the…Jul 21, 2015 · Substantial damage