- Date
- August 9, 1998, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lac Du Flambeau, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9044DPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980809046789A
- Case key
- 43805
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 failure to maintain adequate airspeed and the subsequent inadvertant stall.
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 pilot reported he made a low downwind pass over the lake prior to landing. He stated that after the pass, he gained altitude and began a left turn to the base leg at which time the 'aircraft then stalled.' The airplane descending with the left wing impacting the water first, followed by the right float. The airplane came to rest inverted in approximately four feet of water.
Factual narrative
On August 9, 1998, at 1130 central daylight time, a Piper PA-18- 150, N9044D, operated by a private pilot was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing on Crawling Stone Lake, Lac Du Flambeau, Wisconsin. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The flight departed Lake Du Bay, Mosinee, Wisconsin, at 0930 cdt.
The pilot reported he made a low downwind pass over the lake prior to landing. He stated that after the pass he gained altitude and began a left turn to the base leg at which time the "aircraft then stalled." The airplane descending with the left wing impacting the water first, followed by the right float. The airplane came to rest inverted in approximately four feet of water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9044D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-6788
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Allen L. Lewitzke
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Mosinee, WI
- Destination
- Lac Du Flambeau, WI
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 773 total · 427 in this make and model · 659 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.