- Date
- May 23, 1998, 08:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cold Bay, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4058ZPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19980523010679A
- Case key
- 3141
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 inadequate compensation for wind conditions. A factor associated with this accident was the presence of a crosswind.
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 private pilot/airplane owner was landing to the west on a remote tidal beach. The pilot estimated that wind conditions at the time of the accident were from the southwest at 8 knots. The pilot stated that just after touchdown, the left wing lifted, and he attempted to abort the landing by applying full power and full left aileron. The airplane became airborne, veered to the right over the tidal surf, and collided with a large wave. The pilot and his one passenger aboard were not injured. The airplane sank, and the two occupants swam about 50 yards to shore. The airplane wreckage was not recovered. The pilot stated that he was unable to obtain full aileron deflections due to the control stick contacting the flap actuation lever.
Factual narrative
On May 23, 1998, about 0800 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N4058Z, was destroyed after colliding with ocean surf, about 30 miles southwest of Cold Bay, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The private pilot/airplane owner and the one passenger aboard were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Cold Bay Airport, at 0611.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on May 28, the pilot reported that he was landing to the west on a remote beach adjacent to the Bering Sea. When the airplane touched down, the left wing lifted, and the pilot attempted to abort the landing by applying full power and full left aileron. The airplane became airborne, veered to the right over the tidal surf, and collided with a large wave. The airplane sank, and the two occupants swam about 50 yards to shore. The pilot stated that he was unable to obtain full aileron deflection due to the control stick contacting the flap actuation lever.
No attempt has been made to recover the airplane wreckage.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. He wrote in his written statement that wind conditions at the time of the accident were about 220 degrees at 8 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4058Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8068
- Airframe hours
- 3,479
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kenneth J. Desjarlais
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 1997 · 142 hours before
- Departed
- CDB · Cold Bay, AK
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 780 total · 760 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 43 °F
- Observed at
- ENA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.