Summary
On September 17, 2011, a Piper PA-18-150 (N82907) was involved in an incident near Bethel, AK. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's delayed decision to abort the takeoff.
The pilot reported that, during takeoff in his float-equipped airplane, he realized that the airplane was not going to become airborne before reaching the departure end of the lake. He closed the engine throttle in an attempt to abort the takeoff, but the airplane struck the shoreline and came to rest on the tundra adjacent to the lake, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing. He stated the automated weather observation from an airport approximately 1 mile south of the lake was reporting wind from the east-northeast, but the wind appeared calm on the lake. He made the decision to takeoff to the west due to the calm wind, and to stay away from aircraft departing to the north from the nearby airport.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ANC11CA105. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N82907.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's delayed decision to abort the takeoff.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during takeoff in his float-equipped airplane, he realized that the airplane was not going to become airborne before reaching the departure end of the lake. He closed the engine throttle in an attempt to abort the takeoff, but the airplane struck the shoreline and came to rest on the tundra adjacent to the lake, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing. He stated the automated weather observation from an airport approximately 1 mile south of the lake was reporting wind from the east-northeast, but the wind appeared calm on the lake. He made the decision to takeoff to the west due to the calm wind, and to stay away from aircraft departing to the north from the nearby airport. He indicated there were no mechanical problems with the airplane, and that the accident could have been prevented if he had aborted the takeoff sooner.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ANC11CA105