Takeoff & Initial Climb · NTSB ANC11LA080
PIPER PA-18-150 — Cape Yakataga, AK
| Date | August 16, 2011 |
| Location | Cape Yakataga, AK |
| Aircraft | PIPER PA-18-150 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Takeoff Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 68 |
| Pilot total time | 27,000 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined - C
What happened
The pilot and one passenger departed from a remote cabin en route to an ocean beach site, reportedly to collect ice from an adjacent glacial river. An Alaska state trooper who discovered the partially submerged wreckage during a routine aerial shoreline patrol said that, when he first saw the airplane, it was about 300 yards offshore, and only a portion of airplane's empennage was above the water. Additionally, he discovered tracks in the soft beach sand left by an airplane that matched the accident airplane and were consistent with a bouncing takeoff run. The tracks ended just short of the riverbank at the departure end of the site. The airplane wreckage was subjected to numerous tide cycles with heavy ocean waves intermixed with large pieces of glacier ice, which pulverized the wreckage. The body of the passenger was discovered in ocean surf 4 days later, but the pilot remains missing. The airplane wreckage was not recovered.