N35395

On May 24, 1994, at approximately 1100 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper J5A airplane, N35395, struck small trees on takeoff from the Lake George airstrip, near the base of the George Glacier. The airplane's elevator was substantially damaged by impact forces but the pilot continued the flight and successfully landed at Butte airstrip. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the flight conducted without a flight plan under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal reasons.

The pilot told FAA inspectors and the NTSB that he had hit a pot hole on the lake George strip upon landing and damaged the right gear leg, bending it aft. He decided to take off and bring the damaged airplane to Anchorage. After striking trees on departure and seeing he could still control the airplane, he flew on to the Butte airstrip, 20 miles northwest. There he examined the damaged airplane and upon finding the left elevator bent downward 90 degrees, he made the determination that the airplane was still airworthy and departed for Anchorage.

Upon landing at the Lake Hood airstrip, an FAA inspector noticed the damaged airplane and inspected the airplane. The pilot told investigators that he believed that the damage was limited to that which defined the event to an "incident." He said that he had planned to remove and replace the control surface.