NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ANC00LA129
Registry · N1455H
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
AERONCA 15AC
Year of manufacture
1949 · 51 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-360-A1D (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19930823
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A0B852
Registrant of record
KEPHART WALTER F
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's inadequate compensation for high, gusty wind conditions during water taxi. Factors associated with the accident are high and gusty wind conditions.
Factual narrative
On September 21, 2000, at 1515 Alaska daylight time, an Aeronca 15AC airplane, N1455H, sustained substantial damage when it nosed down during taxi from landing at the Lake Hood Seaplane base, Anchorage, Alaska. The private pilot was not injured. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that after landing on the southeast waterway, he made a 90-degree turn to the left. During the turn, a gust of wind nosed the airplane down, and it collided with a dock. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar, rudder assembly, aileron, and windshield. The 1453 ADT hourly weather observation taken at the Ted Stevens-Anchorage International Airport, located one-half mile west of the accident site, reported winds from 150 degrees at 27 knots, gusting to 38 knots. The pilot was taxiing the float-equipped airplane to parking after landing at a dedicated seaplane base. While turning, a strong, gusty wind pushed the airplane nose down into the water, and the airplane collided with a dock. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2000_ANC00LA129.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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