Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Naknek, Alaska 99633
Friday, July 14, 1995 17:50 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WITNESSES OBSERVED TWO AIRPLANES, A CESSNA 172A AND A PIPER PA-18, BOTH EQUIPPED WITH FLOATS, COLLIDE WITH EACH OTHER WHILE BOTH WERE MANEUVERING IN FLIGHT ABOUT 400 FEET ABOVE THE WATER. AFTER THE COLLISION, THE AIRPLANES BROKE APART AND FELL INTO THE WATER. THE PILOTS OF BOTH AIRPLANES WERE SPOTTING FOR FISH. ONE EYEWITNESS LOCATED DIRECTLY BELOW THE COLLISION ON A FISHING VESSEL OBSERVED THE PIPER PA-18 STRIKE THE CESSNA 172A FROM BEHIND. HE REPORTED THAT THE CESSNA 172A WAS IN A LEFT TURN AT THE TIME, AND THE PIPER PA-18 WAS LEVEL. AN EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT FLOAT AND PROPELLER OF THE PIPER PA-18 IMPACTED THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LEFT WING OF THE CESSNA 172A. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WERE FOUND DURING THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE DAY VFR, AND BOTH PILOTS WERE WELL-RESTED. TOXICOLOGY TESTS SHOWED THE PIPER PA-18 PILOT'S BLOOD HAD 85 NG/ML OF CODEINE, AND THE PRESENCE OF AN OPIATE WAS DETECTED IN HIS URINE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT BY THE PILOT OF THE PIPER PA-18. THE PA-18 PILOT'S DIVERTED ATTENTION WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/14/1995
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1750
Event Time Zone --
Event City NAKNEK
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99633
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator Yes
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1755 Atlantic Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 90
Weather Observation Facility ID ANK
Elevation of weather observation facility 70
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 5
Time Zone of the weather observation ADT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 20000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2400
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 14
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 10
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 30
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1301
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 14 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1810
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:23PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft #2

Aircraft Registration Number N9827T N7531K
NTSB Number ANC95FA104A ANC95FA104B
Missing Aircraft Indicator N N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None None
Flight plan Was Activated? -- --
Damage Destroyed Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA PIPER
Aircraft Model 172A PA-18
Aircraft Series Identifier 172A PA-18
Aircraft Serial Number 47627 18-247
Certified Max Gross Weight 2200 1750
Aircraft Category Airplane Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No No
Flight Crew Seats -- --
Cabin Crew Seats -- --
Passenger Seats -- --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4 2
Number of Engines 1 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown Unknown
Date of Last Inspection -- --
Airframe hours since last inspection -- --
Airframe Hours -- --
ELT Installed Yes Yes
ELT Activated Unknown No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown Unknown
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name DORSEY, ALLEN B. SMART, EUGENE J.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 27652 WOODSIDE P.O. BOX 1788
Aircraft Owner City KINGSTON SOLDOTNA
Aircraft Owner State WA AK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 98346 99669
Operator is an individual? -- --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown Unknown
Operator Certificate Number -- --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not -- --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight -- --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail -- --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Aerial Observation Aerial Observation
Second Pilot on Board No No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes Yes
Departure Airport Code 5NK 5NK
Departure City
Departure State AK AK
Departure Country
Departure Time 0 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0 0
Runway Length -- --
Runway Width -- --
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --