- Date
- February 3, 1999, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N7875DPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19990203001199A
- Case key
- 45726
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 use of excessive taxispeed. Factors associated with the accident were an icy taxi area, and the inadvertent activation of the throttle.
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 airline transport pilot was returning to a maintenance vendor's hangar after completing a maintenance operational check flight. He said that while taxiing on an ice covered parking area, he applied power to taxi up a small incline. He said that as the airplane's skis went over the top of the incline, he closed the throttle, and reached for the mixture control cut off. He noted that his sleeve caught on the throttle control, advancing it to the open position. He said that he was unable to stop the airplane, and the left wing struck a parked maintenance tug. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On February 3, 1999, about 1030 Alaska standard time, a ski equipped Piper PA-18-150 airplane, N7875D, sustained substantial damage while taxiing at Lake Hood, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the U.S. Department of Interior, on a public use mission. The solo airline transport pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and VFR company flight following procedures were in effect.
In his written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilot reported that he was returning to a maintenance vendor's hangar after completing a maintenance operational check flight. He said that while taxiing on an ice covered parking area, he applied power to taxi up a small incline. He said that as the airplane's skis went over the top of the incline, he closed the throttle, and reached for the mixture control cut off. He noted that his sleeve caught on the throttle control, advancing it to the open position. He said that he was unable to stop the airplane, and the left wing struck a parked maintenance tug.
The left wing sustained substantial damage.
The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7875D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6030
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Registered owner
- US Department Of Interior
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 11, 1998 · 49 hours before
- Departed
- LHD
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- LHD · Lake Hood Seaplane
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 8,500 total · 600 in this make and model · 7,500 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Temperature
- -20 °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 N7875D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.