Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Mora, Minnesota 55051
Monday, October 24, 1988 15:45 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AFTER SUSTAINING DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT FRONT FLOAT STRUT DURING A ROUGH WATER DEPARTURE FROM OCTOPUS LAKE IN CANADA, THE PILOT ANTICIPATED A DIFFICULT LANDING WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND/OR INJURY TO IT'S OCCUPANTS. BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ELECTED TO TRY TO LAND ON A LAKE NEAR HIS HOME, RATHER THAN LAND IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA TO CLEAR CUSTOMS AND REFUEL, AS HE HAD ORIGINALLY INTENDED. THIS WAS BEYOND HIS FUEL RANGE, AND, APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES FROM THIS DESTINATION THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE FIELD, THE LEFT WING AND FLOAT STRUCK SOME TREES, THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/24/1988
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1545
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City MORA
Event State MINNESOTA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 55051
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 10
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
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 5000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 7
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 290
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 15
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 25
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1601
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 24 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1545
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 37774
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:13PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1162H
NTSB Number CHI89LA017
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name AERONCA
Aircraft Model 15AC
Aircraft Series Identifier 15AC
Aircraft Serial Number 15AC-175
Certified Max Gross Weight 2100
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Sep 18 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 72
Airframe Hours 1988
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name VAIL, MARK V.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 224 BEAN AVE.
Aircraft Owner City MORA
Aircraft Owner State MN
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 55051
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name VAIL, MARK V.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 224 DEAN AVENUE
Operator City MORA
Operator State MN
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 55051
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code NONE
Departure City OCTOPUS LAKE
Departure State CD
Departure Country
Departure Time 1230
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code NONE
Destination City PINE CITY
Destination State MN
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
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 --