- Date
- October 9, 1998, 20:40 local (Oct 10, 1998, 04:40 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N98900Piper PA-12
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19981009028929A
- Case key
- 45236
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 misjudgment of a proper touchdown point. Factors associated with the accident were darkness, and the pilot's inadequate preflight planning.
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 reported that he was returning to Lake Hood after winterizing his remote cabin. He stated that his departure from Snider Lake was later than he had anticipated, requiring him to land at night at Lake Hood. The pilot reported that he made a straight in approach, landing to the south, utilizing the south water lane. He said that just prior to touchdown, he realized that he was about 500 feet to the right of the intended touchdown area, and over a gravel aircraft parking area. The pilot said that he applied full power in an attempt to go-around, but the airplane continued to settle onto the parking area. The airplane's right wing struck a parked Piper PA-18, and a set of stored floats. The airplane pivoted to the right, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane's wings and fuselage sustained substantial damage. .
Factual narrative
On October 9, 1998, about 2040 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped Piper PA-12 airplane, N98900, sustained substantial damage while landing at Lake Hood, Anchorage, 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 solo private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1930 from Snider Lake, located about 28 miles southwest of Talkeetna, Alaska.
During an on-scene interview with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on October 9, the pilot reported that he was returning to Lake Hood after winterizing his remote cabin. He stated that his departure from Snider Lake was later than he had anticipated, requiring him to land at night at Lake Hood. The pilot reported that he made a straight in approach, landing to the south, utilizing the south water lane. He said that just prior to touchdown, he realized that he was about 500 feet to the right of the intended touchdown area, and over a gravel aircraft parking area. The pilot said that he applied full power in an attempt to go-around, but the airplane continued to settle onto the parking area. The airplane's right wing struck a parked Piper PA-18, and a set of stored floats. The airplane pivoted to the right, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane's wings and fuselage sustained substantial damage.
The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N98900
- Reported as
- Piper PA-12
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-246
- Airframe hours
- 2,054
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Glenn L. Bohn
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 23, 1998 · 41 hours before
- Departed
- TKA · Talkeetna, AK
- Airport
- LHD · Lake Hood Seaplane, runway 18, 1,930 × 200 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,070 total · 2,012 in this make and model · 35 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ANC
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 N98900 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.