- Date
- October 8, 1999, 11:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Hoffmeister, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N9964QPiper PA-18-135
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 21, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19991008040659A
- Case key
- 47592
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 failure to maintain directional control while step-taxiing. A factor in the accident was gusty winds.
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 was trapping otters for a relocation program, and needed to check the traps daily. On the day of the accident he departed a public lake near Forestport, New York, and flew to a series of remote locations. The accident occurred at the last one. The approach and landing to the accident location were normal, but while step-taxing, the airplane encountered a gust of wind, and the pilot 'lost control.' The airplane yawed right towards the wind, and the left wingtip impacted the water. At the completion of the accident sequence, the airplane was upright, and on shore. The pilot exited the airplane uninjured, and then hiked 20 miles back to civilization. The pilot had landed at the accident location 25 to 30 time. A review of topographical maps for the area indicated the body of water was approximately 1,000 feet long and 60 feet wide. Winds were southwest at 10 mph gusting to 20 mph.
Factual narrative
On October 8, 1999, about 1145 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-18-135 on floats, N9964Q, was substantially damaged while step-taxing after landing on a remote body of water in the Adirondack Mountains near Hoffmeister, New York. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the business flight that departed Forestport, New York. No flight plan was filed, and the flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91.
According to the pilot, he was trapping otters for a relocation program, and need to check his traps daily. On the day of the accident he departed a public lake near Forestport, New York, and flew to a series of remote locations, with the accident occurring at the last one. The approach and landing to the accident location were normal, but while step-taxing, the airplane encountered a gust of wind, and the pilot "lost control." The airplane yawed right towards the wind, and the left wingtip impacted the water. At the completion of the accident sequence, the airplane was upright, and on shore. The pilot exited the airplane uninjured, and then hiked 20 miles back to civilization.
The pilot added that the winds were southwest at 10 mph gusting to 20 mph, and that he had landed there 25 to 30 times before.
A review of topographical maps for the area indicated the body of water was approximately 1,000 feet long and 60 feet wide.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9964Q
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-135
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-3956
- Airframe hours
- 2,580
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Nicholas Verschneider
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 12, 1999 · 56 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Forestport, NY
- Destination
- NONE
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,300 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 1,200 as pilot in command · 56 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °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.