Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lime Village, Alaska 99659
Sunday, May 26, 2002 18:15 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The certificated commercial pilot, with one passenger aboard, was departing on a cross-country personal flight from a remote, 1,300 foot-long, gravel-covered airstrip. A commercial pilot witness reported that as the accident airplane started its takeoff run to the southeast, the airplane's engine sounded "normal" as if it was producing full power. He added that as soon as the airplane began its takeoff roll, he saw a large thunderstorm cell approaching the airstrip from the northeast. High winds from the northeast and very heavy rain showers preceded the fast moving thunderstorm cell. The witness estimated that the fast moving thunderstorm cell passed over the departure end of the airstrip just as the accident airplane was departing. The airplane subsequently collided with tree-covered terrain about 1,500 feet beyond the departure end of the airstrip. A postcrash fire destroyed the airplane wreckage. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's inadequate evaluation of weather and his inability to maintain aircraft control. A contributing factor was high winds due to thunderstorm outflow activity.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/26/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1815 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Lime Village |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99659 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 615156N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1541606W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.3 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 120 |
| Airport Elevation | 1000 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 45 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 25 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Heavy |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 13434 |
| NTSB Notification Source | ANC FAA, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 26 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2130 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 30 2003 9:51AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Anchorage FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4347Z |
| NTSB Number | ANC02FA038 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-18 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18-8665 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 12 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Michael L. Grimes & George L. Harma |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O.Box 770949 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Eagle River |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99577 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | 2AK |
| Departure City | Lime Village |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1815 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | BCV |
| Destination City | Lime Village |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 7 2003 7:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PETL |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 110 |
| Runway Length | 1300 |
| Runway Width | 25 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |