- Date
- October 16, 1990, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Port Heiden, AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4290HPiper PA-14
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19901016046359A
- Case key
- 5505
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 maintain directional control during takeoff. Contributing to the accident were the crosswind, pilot's failure to compensate for the crosswind, the soft runway, and lack of total experience in type of aircraft.
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 lost directional control of the airplane and crashed during an attempted takeoff with a 15 knot crosswind. He stated that he had only 2 hours in PA-14 airplane, and only about 13 hours in tailwheel type airplanes.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4290H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-14
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14-94
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thomas M. Laret, Jr.
- Registered owner
- Jeff W. Graham
- Airport
- PTH · Port Heiden, runway 31, 4,400 × 100 ft, gravel
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 148 total · 2 in this make and model · 177 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PTH
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 N4290H · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.