Piper PA-18-150 accident near Cold Bay, Alaska, May 22, 2004
On May 22, 2004 at about 5:00 am local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N4319Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cold Bay, Alaska. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power during the final approach to land for an undetermined reason, and the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during the ensuing emergency descent, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. A factor associated with the accident was the stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2004 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Cold Bay, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N4319Z · registry record · serial 18-8632
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport certificated pilot of the float-equipped airplane took off from a lake, about 7 miles from a lodge en route to an un-named float pond to retrieve a guide and equipment. When the airplane did not return, a co-worker reported it missing. The wreckage was located about 10 miles from the lodge, near the lake where it originally took off. The pilot, guide, and the equipment from the camp were in the airplane. The pilot received serious injuries, and the sole passenger, the guide, received fatal injuries. The accident site was on a rolling, tundra-covered coastal plain, with no trees, and no brush taller than 18 inches. The wings were bent downward symmetrically from the centerline of the fuselage, and touching the ground. The tail was bent 20-30 degrees to the left aft of the cabin. The horizontal stabilizer was parallel to the ground and undamaged. The floats were displaced aft about 24 inches, spread apart, and had impacted the bottom of the wings. The leading edges of both wings were straight with little damage. There were no ground scars indicating forward motion, and dirt spray forward was minimal. Both propeller blades exhibited chord-wise scratching, and leading edge gouging. Postaccident inspection disclosed that the engine's sparkplugs were clean and dry. The engine exhaust manifolds exhibited sharp creases and bending without cracking at the folds. The throttle was full forward, mixture full rich, carburetor heat cold, and the engine primer in and locked. The right wing fuel tank was selected, and fuel was found in both wing tanks, the header tank, and gascolator. The throttle was in the full power position. The magneto selector was in the "both" position. The airplane's flap handle was mechanically captured in the flaps extended position, and the elevator trim was set in the forward (nose down) position. The floats, forward fuselage, and nose-bowl exhibited crush-lines diverging upward 25-35 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the airplane. The inspection disclosed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies with the the engine or airframe.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,850 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 4,750 as pilot in command; 1,035 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 11, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Cold Bay AK
- Destination: Cold Bay AK
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 160° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from PACD, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N4319Z the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.