- Date
- July 23, 1983, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Seward, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N50509Bellanca Citabria 7GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19830723038939A
- Case key
- 4147
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he was flying at 200 feet AGL, at about 65 mph in a left turn, spotting fish for a fishing vessel when a map that was on his lap fell to the floor. When he reached for it his left hand hit the throttle, reducing power. Before he could recover the aircraft struck the water. There were no mechanical malfunctions that contributed to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N50509
- Reported as
- Bellanca Citabria 7GCBC (CITABRIA 7)
- Category
- Airplane
- Airframe hours
- 1,662
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gerald R. Johnson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 3, 1983 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- LHD · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- CDV · Cordova, AK
- Airport
- SWD · Seward
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 1,662 in this make and model · 3,455 as pilot in command · 360 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.