Piper PA-18 accident near Cold Bay, Alaska, May 23, 1998
On May 23, 1998 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N4058Z, was destroyed in an accident near Cold Bay, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions. A factor associated with this accident was the presence of a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 1998 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cold Bay, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N4058Z · no longer on the register · serial 18-8068
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot/airplane owner was landing to the west on a remote tidal beach. The pilot estimated that wind conditions at the time of the accident were from the southwest at 8 knots. The pilot stated that just after touchdown, the left wing lifted, and he attempted to abort the landing by applying full power and full left aileron. The airplane became airborne, veered to the right over the tidal surf, and collided with a large wave. The pilot and his one passenger aboard were not injured. The airplane sank, and the two occupants swam about 50 yards to shore. The airplane wreckage was not recovered. The pilot stated that he was unable to obtain full aileron deflections due to the control stick contacting the flap actuation lever.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 780 hours in all; 760 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,479 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1997; 142 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CDB Cold Bay AK at 8:45 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 10:09 am from ENA
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.
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.