Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Wrangell, Alaska 99929
Thursday, October 17, 2002 10:20 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The solo private pilot was departing in a float-equipped airplane for a flight over an area of open ocean water. During a phone interview the day after the accident, the pilot said that just after takeoff, while crossing a 1-mile wide channel of open water, he encountered a fog bank. He noted that the ocean water was "as smooth as glass." As the flight progressed, the visibility deteriorated to a point that he elected to turn around. During a left 180 degree turn, the airplane descended, collided with the ocean, broke apart, and sank. In the pilot's written statement to the NTSB, the pilot said that he suspected that the floats of the airplane had been sabotaged, which allowed water to enter the floats, which in turn extended the airplane's takeoff roll, and precipitated his encounter with the fog bank. In a written statement to the NTSB, a witness who could hear, but not see the accident airplane's takeoff, wrote, in part: "The fog at that time was so heavy and so thick that our dock, which is about 75 feet from where I was standing, was a slight shadow. It would have been zero visibility." The airplane wreckage sank in ocean waters estimated to be between 150 to 250 feet deep and has not been recovered.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's inadequate weather evaluation, his continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from terrain/water, which resulted in a collision with water while maneuvering. Factors associated with the accident were fog and glassy water conditions.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/17/2002
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1020
Event Time Zone --
Event City Wrangell
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99929
Event Date Year 2002
Event Date Month 10
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 561005N
Event Location Longitude 1321106W
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
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 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions --
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 7
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator --
Wind Speed (knots) --
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 13652
NTSB Notification Source Juneau FSDO
NTSB Notification Date Oct 17 2002 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1200
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Jul 23 2003 8:35AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Juneau FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5662S
NTSB Number ANC03LA003
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Maule
Aircraft Model M-7-235
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 4025C
Certified Max Gross Weight 2750
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 2 2002 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Charles L. Bateham
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O.Box 796
Aircraft Owner City Wrangell
Aircraft Owner State AK
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99929
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code WRG
Departure City Wrangell
Departure State AK
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1018
Departure Time Zone ADT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code WRG
Destination City Wrangell
Destination State AK
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record May 27 2003 7:08PM
User who most recently changed record PETL
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --