Event ANC90LA059

1990-04-15 CORDOVA, Alaska, United States None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N6MX

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

PIPER PA-18A 150

Engine

LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)

Seats / Engines

1 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19770204

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A7C3B6

Registrant of record

HALE MITCHELL D

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N6MX Piper PA-18 None

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION, WHICH RESULTED IN A NOSE-OVER OF THE AIRCRAFT WHEN IT ENCOUNTERED A WAVE FROM A BOAT DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN.

Factual narrative

THE PLT RPRTD THAT DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN, THE FLOAT PLANE HAD JUST COME UP ON THE STEP, WHEN IT HIT THE WAKE OF A BOAT. THE PLANE BALLOONED IN THE AIR BEFORE IT HAD SUFFICIENT SPEED TO FLY. THE ACFT THEN CONTACTED THE WATER, THE FLOATS DUG IN & THE PLANE NOSED OVER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_ANC90LA059.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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