- Date
- September 18, 1989, 19:30 local (Sep 19, 1989, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Port Moller, AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7124KPiper PA-18-105
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890918035849A
- Case key
- 5267
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's self induced pressure and the adverse weather conditions.
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.
In flight encounter with weather
Planning/decision - improperCause
Self-induced pressureFactor
Weather condition - high windFactor
Weather condition - mountain waveFactor
Weather condition - gustsFactor
Weather condition - turbulenceFactor
Weather condition - downdraftFactor
In flight collision with terrain/water
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7124K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-105
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-342
- Airframe hours
- 1,810
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Melvin B. Gillis
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1989 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- Sandy Lk Lodge, AK
N7124KRegistered now · Piper PA-18-105 SPECIALAirframe modelPiper PA-18-105 SPECIALEngine modelLycoming 0-235 series
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
- 59
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 20,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 15,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 35 knots, gusting 80
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- 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.