Piper PA-18-135 accident near Hoffmeister, New York, October 8, 1999
On October 8, 1999 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-135, registered N9964Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hoffmeister, New York. It was a business 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 failure to maintain directional control while step-taxiing. A factor in the accident was gusty winds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 1999 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hoffmeister, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-135 · all PA-18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N9964Q · registry record · serial 18-3956
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was trapping otters for a relocation program, and needed to check the traps daily. On the day of the accident he departed a public lake near Forestport, New York, and flew to a series of remote locations. The accident occurred at the last one. The approach and landing to the accident location were normal, but while step-taxing, the airplane encountered a gust of wind, and the pilot 'lost control.' The airplane yawed right towards the wind, and the left wingtip impacted the water. At the completion of the accident sequence, the airplane was upright, and on shore. The pilot exited the airplane uninjured, and then hiked 20 miles back to civilization. The pilot had landed at the accident location 25 to 30 time. A review of topographical maps for the area indicated the body of water was approximately 1,000 feet long and 60 feet wide. Winds were southwest at 10 mph gusting to 20 mph.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,580 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 1999; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Forestport NY at 1:00 pm
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 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.
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 NYC00LA013.