Piper PA-18A-150 accident near Gulf Of Mexico, October 9, 1997
On October 9, 1997 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-18A-150, registered N7198D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gulf Of Mexico. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s), which resulted in a forced landing (ditching) at sea.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 1997 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Gulf Of Mexico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18A-150 · all PA-18A-150s on the register
- Registration
- N7198D · no longer on the register · serial 18-5666
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated the weather was 'good' for most of the flight; however, he encountered some isolated showers, and had to descend from 5,000 to 2,500 to maintain VFR conditions. Also, he had to deviate from his route about 5 nautical miles, and had encountered a wind from the north of 45 mph for about 20 nautical miles. He stated that he was 3 hours 45 minutes into the flight and 120 nautical miles from his destination when the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot could not contact ATC by radio directly, so he relayed information via another airplane that he was having engine problems. ATC radar identified his location as being 100 nautical miles from Key West. While descending to ditch in the water, the engine restarted, and the pilot was able to climb to 4,500 feet, but was not able to maintain altitude. He flew for about another 40 nautical miles until he saw a military airplane flying in circles and a freighter on the surface. He ditched in the water, the freighter passed him by, and the military airplane kept circling. He got into his raft, the airplane sank, and after about 20 minutes, the pilot was rescued by a United States Coast Guard aircraft about 60 nautical miles from Key West. The airplane was never recovered. The winds at Key West about the time of the accident were from 080 degrees at 9 gusting 18 knots.
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
- Flight time: 758 hours in all; 175 in this make and model; 83 in the last 90 days; 92 in the last 30 days; 728 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 24,091 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 30, 1997; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-AZE (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MMUN Cancun OF
- Destination: AWO Key West FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.