- Date
- May 21, 1984, 20:00 local (May 22, 1984, 04:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sleetmute, AK
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1378CPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19840521018069A
- Case key
- 4208
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
According to witnesses, the plt made 3 low passes at some boats in Sleetmute slough. They estimated the passes were at 5 to 10 ft above the water, then the plt would pull up in a steep climb attitude, execute a 180 deg turn and make another pass. After the 3rd pass, the acft pulled up, yawed to the left and crashed in the water while in a nose low, wings level attitude. A toxicological check of the plt's blood showed an alcohol level of 0.048% (48 mg%).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1378C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-2633
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D2, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mildred I. Branham
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Sleetmute, AK
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
- 23
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 12 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.