What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Windshield fogged on takeoff roll. Aborted. Veered into snow bank edge of runway. Caught fire. Evacuated safely. (From .4) during the takeoff roll, while passing 45 knots indicated airspeed, ice formed between the inner and outer panes of the airplane's windshield, obscuring the crew's vision. The flight crew aborted the takeoff, the airplane drifted off the left side of the snow covered runway, and caught fire. The crew reported the airplane and windshield were cold soaked and the temperature was -10 degrees fahrenheit. The windshield anti-ice system blows air from a combustion heater between the windshield glass panes. The air source for the heater, once the airplane has forward airspeed, is two leading edge wing scoops. The crew told the NTSB investigator that the taxi time was too short for the windshield to warm up, and that during the taxi, snow was circulated around the airplane and into the wing scoops. (-23) a DC-6B aircraft carrying 24,000# of gold ore concentrate was making a takeoff from a private air strip at a mine which is located on and adjacent to a mountain ridge line. At approximately 45 knots both windshields su ddenly fogged over and all forward visibility was lost. During the subsequent aborted takeoff, the aircraft drifted to the left of the runway centerline and struck an approximately 2 feet high snow berm at the runway edge. The aircraft continued to the left of the runway. It came to rest down the mountainside adjacent to the runway where it burned.
As the FAA filed it
WINDSHIELD FOGGED ON TAKEOFF ROLL. ABORTED. VEERED INTO SNOW BANK EDGE OF RUNWAY. CAUGHT FIRE. EVACUATED SAFELY. (FROM .4) DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, WHILE PASSING 45 KNOTS INDICATED AIRSPEED, ICE FORMED BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER PANES OF THE AIRPLANE'S WINDSHIELD, OBSCURING THE CREW'S VISION. THE FLIGHT CREW ABORTED THE TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SNOW COVERED RUNWAY, AND CAUGHT FIRE. THE CREW REPORTED THE AIRPLANE AND WINDSHIELD WERE COLD SOAKED AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS -10 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. THE WINDSHIELD ANTI-ICE SYSTEM BLOWS AIR FROM A COMBUSTION HEATER BETWEEN THE WINDSHIELD GLASS PANES. THE AIR SOURCE FOR THE HEATER, ONCE THE AIRPLANE HAS FORWARD AIRSPEED, IS TWO LEADING EDGE WING SCOOPS. THE CREW TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR THAT THE TAXI TIME WAS TOO SHORT FOR THE WINDSHIELD TO WARM UP, AND THAT DURING THE TAXI, SNOW WAS CIRCULATED AROUND THE AIRPLANE AND INTO THE WING SCOOPS. (-23) A DC-6B AIRCRAFT CARRYING 24,000# OF GOLD ORE CONCENTRATE WAS MAKING A TAKEOFF FROM A PRIVATE AIR STRIP AT A MINE WHICH IS LOCATED ON AND ADJACENT TO A MOUNTAIN RIDGE LINE. AT APPROXIMATELY 45 KNOTS BOTH WINDSHIELDS SU DDENLY FOGGED OVER AND ALL FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS LOST. DURING THE SUBSEQUENT ABORTED TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE AND STRUCK AN APPROXIMATELY 2 FEET HIGH SNOW BERM AT THE RUNWAY EDGE. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. IT CAME TO REST DOWN THE MOUNTAINSIDE ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY WHERE IT BURNED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N861TA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.