Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Port Heiden, Alaska 99549
Tuesady, August 29, 2000 15:40 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The commercial certificated pilot departed with a biologist on a CFR Part 91 government flight, to conduct fish surveys in remote areas of the Alaska Peninsula. The point of departure was about 51 miles southwest of the accident site. Upon departure, the weather conditions included calm winds, and small clouds over high, mountainous terrain. As the survey continued into a coastal bay area on the east side of the Alaska Peninsula, the wind began to blow from the southwest, disturbing the water surface of the bay and streams. The pilot decided to discontinue the survey and return to the departure airport, and began heading in a southwest direction. The wind continued to increase with occasional turbulence. While in cruise flight about 1,200 feet msl in the area of a small saddle between two low hills, the airplane began to lose altitude in a strong downdraft. The pilot added full power, but the airplane continued to descend. He observed trees below him that were being flattened by the downdraft. He attempted to turn right, away from the side of one small hill, but a sharply increased ground speed prompted him to turn back into the prevailing wind. The airplane continued toward the ground, and the pilot said he lowered the nose of the airplane into an area of tall alders to make contact with terrain with some degree of control. During the collision with the trees, the engine and firewall were torn off the front of the airplane, and the wings were displaced rearward. The passenger reported that during the downdraft, his clipboard was pinned against the cabin roof. The closest official weather observation station is about 35 miles west of the accident site, along the west side of the Alaska Peninsula. An automated weather observation system was reporting, in part: Wind, 240 degrees (true) at 36 knots, gusts to 41 knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate weather evaluation and in-flight planning/decisions. Factors in the accident were turbulence, and a downdraft.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/29/2000 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1540 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | PORT HEIDEN |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99549 |
| Event Date Year | 2000 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| 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 | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 225 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 35 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 50 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1044 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 30 2000 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 113 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 2 2001 3:43PM |
| User who most recently changed record | MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N125FG |
| NTSB Number | ANC00TA109 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-18 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-18 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18-1046 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1750 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 4 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 65 |
| Airframe Hours | 6554 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | STATE OF ALASKA |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 211 MISSION RD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | KODIAK |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99615 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | 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) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | COHO BEACH |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1515 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | AK79 |
| Destination City | CHIGNIK |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 2 2001 4:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |