- Date
- August 9, 1991, 13:22 local (21:22 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2370HPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 10, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910809033259A
- Case key
- 5598
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 of the airplane during the takeoff roll. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's weather evaluation misjudgment, the high wind, and rough water encountered during takeoff.
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 left wing began to rise during the takeoff run on the lake and the pilot lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane nosed over on its back and sank into 20 feet of water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2370H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7909178
- Airframe hours
- 772
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Moeller, David A.
- Registered owner
- Moeller, David A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 5, 1990 · 16 hours before
- Destination
- NONE · Alexander Lake, AK
- Airport
- LHD · Lake Hood Seaplane, runway 13, 1,370 × 150 ft, water
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 471 total · 192 in this make and model · 288 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 16 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ANC, 1 nm away
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 N2370H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.