Aeronca 15AC accident near Kodiak, Alaska, July 31, 1998
On July 31, 1998 at about 9:31 pm local time, a Aeronca 15AC, registered N1083H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kodiak, Alaska (Kodiak Lily Lake Seaplane airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate weather evaluation and compensation for wind conditions. Factors associated with the accident are wind gusts, a sudden windshift to a tailwind, the pilot's failure to abort the takeoff, and an inadvertent stall/mush.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 1998 · about 9:31 pm local time
- Place
- Kodiak, Alaska · Kodiak Lily Lake Seaplane · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 15AC · all 15ACs on the register
- Registration
- N1083H · registry record · serial 15AC-102
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The seaplane was taking off in variable direction, gusty crosswinds. According to the pilot, the initial headwind shifted to a crosswind, and then a tailwind during the 2,100 feet long takeoff water run. The pilot indicated that the airplane became airborne, and settled back to the water, with insufficient distance to stop. The pilot said he lifted the airplane off the water again, but the airplane lost altitude and airspeed, and struck an unoccupied shed in the departure path. He stated he should have taken off in the opposite direction, or delayed the departure until the winds had stabilized.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 11,718 hours in all; 1,511 in this make and model; 151 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days; 10,718 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,894 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 1998; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9Z3 AK at 4:30 pm
- Destination: T44 Trident Basin AK
- Runway 20, 2,100 ft by 300 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:31 pm from ADQ, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC98LA113.