20190915016899A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-12 · Healy Lake, AK · September 15, 2019

Date: September 15, 2019 · 12:00 local
Place: Healy Lake, AK
Airport: Healy Lake
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4315M
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA19CA551
Reported as: Piper PA-12
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 600 total150 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days

N4315MRegistered now · Piper PA-12S/N 12-3248 · Built 1947 Airframe modelPiper PA-12 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 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.

In pilots words: ?after assessing local weather, deemed safe to operate. Taxi with prevailing wind from east. Took off into prevailing winds.

Wind shifted dramatically from east to south above ground obstructions to severely turbulent conditions. Pushed aircraft to north. Causing left wing to dip and forced aircraft into water.

Floats touched nose down causing airplane to flip onto its back.?

As the FAA filed it

IN PILOTS WORDS: ?AFTER ASSESSING LOCAL WEATHER, DEEMED SAFE TO OPERATE. TAXI WITH PREVAILING WIND FROM EAST. TOOK OFF INTO PREVAILING WINDS.

WIND SHIFTED DRAMATICALLY FROM EAST TO SOUTH ABOVE GROUND OBSTRUCTIONS TO SEVERELY TURBULENT CONDITIONS. PUSHED AIRCRAFT TO NORTH. CAUSING LEFT WING TO DIP AND FORCED AIRCRAFT INTO WATER.

FLOATS TOUCHED NOSE DOWN CAUSING AIRPLANE TO FLIP ONTO ITS BACK.?

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 GAA19CA551Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportHealy, AKThe pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while taking off from water in shifting wind conditions.Sep 15, 2019 · Substantial damage