Piper PA-18-150 N4205Z

Summary

On 16 August 2011 at about 22:35 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N4205Z, operated by Stoltzfus Richard L, was involved in an accident near Cape Yakataga, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 August 2011 at 22:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Cape Yakataga, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

60.0394, -143.5858

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-150

Registration

N4205Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Stoltzfus Richard L

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cape Yakataga → Cape Yakataga

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC11LA080

2 people died.

A collision into water during initial climb after takeoff for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and one passenger departed from a remote cabin en route to an ocean beach site, reportedly to collect ice from an adjacent glacial river. An Alaska state trooper who discovered the partially submerged wreckage during a routine aerial shoreline patrol said that, when he first saw the airplane, it was about 300 yards offshore, and only a portion of airplane's empennage was above the water. Additionally, he discovered tracks in the soft beach sand left by an airplane that matched the accident airplane and were consistent with a bouncing takeoff run. The tracks ended just short of the riverbank at the departure end of the site. The airplane wreckage was subjected to numerous tide cycles with heavy ocean waves intermixed with large pieces of glacier ice, which pulverized the wreckage. The body of the passenger was discovered in ocean surf 4 days later, but the pilot remains missing. The airplane wreckage was not recovered.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.