Piper PA-18-150 N98PK

Summary

On 24 August 1999 at about 20:30 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N98PK was involved in an accident near Saddle Island, Maine, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 August 1999 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Saddle Island, Maine, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-150

Registration

N98PK

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Camden → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC99FA210

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from trees.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness who was located on a vessel in the water observed the airplane flying in a northerly direction, parallel a shoreline, about 500 feet above the water. About 1 minute later the witness observed the airplane on a southerly heading. The airplane was 'low and slow, about tree top level.' As the airplane passed by, 'the nose came up and the tail went down.' The tail struck a tree and the airplane veered to the left. The edge of the left wing hit a second tree, and the airplane rotated to the left. The left wing then dropped as the right wing struck trees. The witness further stated that 'the airplane was under full power, like he wanted to get out of there.' Since completing an airplane single engine seaplane rating, the pilot logged a total of 26.1 hours in the accident airplane with floats attached to the airframe. The pilot's total airplane single engine seaplane experience was 32.1 hours.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.