- Date
- July 18, 1998, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Big Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5133HPiper PA-14
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 19, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19980718023639A
- Case key
- 43538
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 preflight procedure of failing to ensure his seat was engaged, which resulted in the seat slipping aft 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
During takeoff from a lake, the pilot's seat slipped aft. He lost hold of the flight controls, and the airplane impacted the water and sank. The seat tracks were new, and the seat retaining pin holes were not worn. The pilot did not hold a seaplane rating.
Factual narrative
On July 18, 1998, about 1400 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-14 float equipped airplane, N5133H, sustained substantial damage when it collided with water during initial takeoff from Big Lake, Alaska. The private pilot and the sole passenger sustained minor injuries. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91, as a personal flight returning to Wasilla Lake Seaplane Base, Wasilla, Alaska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot told the NTSB investigator on July 18, that during takeoff, his seat was not locked and slipped aft. He said he lost hold of the flight controls, pulled the throttle to idle, and crashed into the water.
The airplane was equipped with Cessna 170 seats, and new Cessna 170 seat tracks. Photographs of the pilot's seat tracks show no visible wear or elongation of the retaining pin holes.
The pilot had received dual seaplane instruction, and was scheduled the following week for a seaplane check flight. He did not hold a seaplane rating.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5133H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-14
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14-144
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John Daily
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- AK
- Destination
- 5L6 · Wasilla Lake, 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, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,424 total · 34 in this make and model · 1,382 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
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 N5133H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.