- Date
- May 18, 1989, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Harding Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7761DPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890518013549A
- Case key
- 5185
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to adequately compensate for the existing wind conditions. A factor related to the accident was: the gusty/variable wind condition.
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 was attempting to take off from a small lake in his float equipped airplane. He was unable to gain sufficient altitude to clear the opposite bank, and struck the terrain with the right main float. The airplane continued onto the shore and damaged the left wing. The pilot believes that the presence of variable gusty wind conditions added to the take off distance required, and that he did not adequately compensate for the wind conditions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7761D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-5940
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gianni, Keith G.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Airport
- Little Harding Lake
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 303 total · 260 in this make and model · 220 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 80 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N7761D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.