Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Larson Bay, Alaska 99624
Tuesady, May 3, 1988 15:45 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A FLOAT EQUIPPED PIPER PA-18-150 AND FLOAT EQUIPPED CESSNA 185F, WERE INVOLVED IN A MIDAIR COLLISION AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET MSL OVER LARSON BAY, AK. AT THE TIME OF THE MIDAIR COLLISION BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE BEING USED AS FISH SPOTTERS FOR SEVERAL FISHING BOATS IN THE AREA. THE PA-18-150 WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE CESSNA 185F RECEIVED NO DAMAGE AND THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. BOTH ACFT WERE FLYING PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER WITH THE PIPER SLIGHTLY LOWER. ACCORDING TO THE CESSNA PLT HE SPOTTED THE PIPER BELOW HIM WHEN THE PIPER TURNED TO THE LEFT. THE CESSNA PLT SAID HE THEN TURNED RT AND PULLED UP BUT HIS LEFT FLOAT CONTACTED THE PIPER'S RT WING. THE IMPACT DID NOT SEEM SEVERE ACCORDING TO THE CESSNA PLT AND THE ONLY DAMAGE HE NOTED ON THE PIPER WAS TO THE OUTBOARD END OF THE RT WING. THE PIPER, HOWEVER, CONTINUED A LEFT SPIRAL TO THE WATER. THE CESSNA PLT SAID HE THOUGHT THE BOATS SHOULD WARN THE PLTS ON A COMMON RADIO FREQ WHEN TWO ACFT ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/3/1988
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1545
Event Time Zone --
Event City LARSON BAY
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99624
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 5
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
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 2500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
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) 10
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 4
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 60
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 136
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 3 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1610
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 35483
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 11:44AM
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 N54768 N9030R
NTSB Number ANC88FA052A ANC88FA052B
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 None
Aircraft Fire None None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER CESSNA
Aircraft Model PA-18-150 185F
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-18-150 185F
Aircraft Serial Number 187609055 1851244
Certified Max Gross Weight 1750 3600
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 2 4
Number of Engines 1 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jan 7 1988 12:00AM Jun 25 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 83 100
Airframe Hours 1600 5600
ELT Installed Yes Yes
ELT Activated No No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No No
ELT Type -- --
Aircraft Owner Name KIP GROVES JAMES DAVID JONES
Aircraft Owner Street Address P. O. BOX 2968 321 MAPLE STREET
Aircraft Owner City JUNEAU KODIAK
Aircraft Owner State AK AK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99802 99615
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) Business Business
Second Pilot on Board No No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1530 1535
Departure Time Zone ADT ADT
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 Descent Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? -- --
Evacuation occurred -- --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo dbo
Since inspection or accident -- --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0 0
Runway Length 0 0
Runway Width 0 0
Sight Seeing flight No No
Air Medical Flight No No
Medical Flight -- --