Summary
On September 02, 1997, a Cessna U206F (N7032Q) was involved in an accident near King Salmon, AK. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury, with 2 people uninjured out of 3 aboard. The aircraft was destroyed.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's selection of an unsuitable takeoff area. Factors were the sand bar and the pilot's failure to use all available waterway for the takeoff.
On September 1, 1997, about 1710, a float equipped Cessna U206F airplane, N7032Q, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over in water on the Alagnak River, 38 miles northeast of King Salmon, Alaska. The airline transport certificated pilot and two passengers were uninjured. The airplane was operated by Hartley, Inc., doing business as Branch River Air Service, of Anchorage, Alaska. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 135 as an on demand air taxi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company flight plan was filed.
Statements and a videotape taken by the passengers revealed that during the initial takeoff run, while on step, the pilot's seat slipped aft and he aborted the takeoff.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ANC97LA140. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N7032Q.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the pilot's selection of an unsuitable takeoff area. Factors were the sand bar and the pilot's failure to use all available waterway for the takeoff.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On September 1, 1997, about 1710, a float equipped Cessna U206F airplane, N7032Q, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over in water on the Alagnak River, 38 miles northeast of King Salmon, Alaska. The airline transport certificated pilot and two passengers were uninjured. The airplane was operated by Hartley, Inc., doing business as Branch River Air Service, of Anchorage, Alaska. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 135 as an on demand air taxi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company flight plan was filed.
Statements and a videotape taken by the passengers revealed that during the initial takeoff run, while on step, the pilot's seat slipped aft and he aborted the takeoff. He reset his seat, and did not water taxi the seaplane back to the original takeoff spot. The video depicts the seaplane beginning a second takeoff run, and the passengers can be heard commenting on the shallowness of the water. The seaplane then strikes a sandbar and noses over. This tape and overhead photographs show the seaplane inverted on a sandbar in shallow water.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ANC97LA140