Piper PA-18-150 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, February 3, 1999
On February 3, 1999 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-150, registered N7875D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Lake Hood Seaplane airport). It was a public-use 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's use of excessive taxispeed. Factors associated with the accident were an icy taxi area, and the inadvertent activation of the throttle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 3, 1999 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Lake Hood Seaplane · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-150 · all PA-18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N7875D · registry record · serial 18-6030
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated airline transport pilot was returning to a maintenance vendor's hangar after completing a maintenance operational check flight. He said that while taxiing on an ice covered parking area, he applied power to taxi up a small incline. He said that as the airplane's skis went over the top of the incline, he closed the throttle, and reached for the mixture control cut off. He noted that his sleeve caught on the throttle control, advancing it to the open position. He said that he was unable to stop the airplane, and the left wing struck a parked maintenance tug. The left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 7,500 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 11, 1998; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LHD at 2:15 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: -20°F (-29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.