Piper PA-18 N7477L

Summary

On 20 September 2001 at about 01:00 local time, a Piper PA-18 registered N7477L, operated by Wind River Camps, was involved in an accident near Port Heiden, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 September 2001 at 01:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Port Heiden, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Gold Fish Lake

Coordinates

56.9083, -158.6833

Aircraft

Piper PA-18

Registration

N7477L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Wind River Camps

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Port Heiden → Ungashik River

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC01LA142

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's inadequate evaluation of the wind conditions. A factor in the accident was the presence of a tailwind.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private certificated pilot was departing a small lake in a float-equipped airplane. The pilot said he operated from the lake numerous times, and landed on the lake about 45 minutes before the accident to pick up cargo for his fishing camp. The pilot said that when he landed, the wind was from the west, and when he began to taxi on the lake for departure, the wind was calm. The pilot began the takeoff run toward the west, and he said the airplane came up on step. He said his ground speed seemed fast, but the airspeed was low. He said the airplane became airborne near the edge of the lake shore, but the tail portion of the float assembly struck a six inch high berm at the edge of the lake. The airplane came to rest on a road located along the shoreline of the lake. The airplane received damage to the float assemblies, the propeller, and the tail. Following the accident, the pilot said that witnesses told him that as he taxied onto the lake for departure, the wind began to blow from the southeast about 15 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.