- Date
- August 13, 1991, 19:15 local (Aug 14, 1991, 03:15 UTC)
- Place
- Eagle River, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N1017APiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910813033959A
- Case key
- 5601
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 airspeed during climbout and lack of aircraft control. Contributing to the accident was both the downdraft and gusting wind.
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
Shortly after liftoff and during initial climb, the pilot encountered a strong downdraft and lost control of the airplane, subsequently crashing into a lake.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1017A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18587
- Airframe hours
- 2,198
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David L. Morgan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 12, 1991 · 46 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Eagle River, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 518 total · 210 in this make and model · 471 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.