- Date
- June 29, 1998, 21:22 local (Jun 30, 1998, 05:22 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5994ZPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 19, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19980629015279A
- Case key
- 3169
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 inadvertent activation of the brakes during the takeoff roll, and subsequent loss of control.
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 certificated commercial pilot was departing a gravel airstrip with the intentions of doing a few touch-and-go landings for pilot proficiency purposes. During the takeoff roll the airplane veered to the left, and departed the runway about midfield of the 2200 feet long airstrip. The main landing gear contacted soft terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot said, in part: 'I applied full power for takeoff and the airplane pulled to the left and went off the runway and nosed over. I just forgot to take my feet off the brake pedals.' The pilot indicated that there were no preimpact mechanical difficulties with the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, and right wing lift strut.
Factual narrative
On June 29, 1998, about 2122 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, N5994Z, sustained substantial damage when it went off the side of runway 13 during takeoff from the Lake Hood Airstrip, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a local, visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on June 30, the pilot reported that he intended to do a few touch-and-go landings for pilot proficiency purposes. The pilot said, in part: "I applied full power for takeoff and the airplane pulled to the left and went off the runway and nosed over. I just forgot to take my feet off the brake pedals." The pilot indicated that there were no preimpact mechanical difficulties with the airplane.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, and right wing lift strut.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5994Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-8252
- Airframe hours
- 2,550
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles L. Robertson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 1998 · 17 hours before
- Airport
- Z41 · Lake Hood Airstrip, runway 13, 2,200 × 70 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
- 55
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Unknown, Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 600 in this make and model · 1,100 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PAN
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 N5994Z · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.