What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Crosswind takeoff from a beach. On liftoff dirfted. Right main gear hit a bluff. Impact tore off gear. (From .4) the pilot and three passengers were departing from a sand/gravel beach. The wind was blowing from the south about 7 to 10 knots. The pilot began the accident flight take off toward the west, utilizing a short field takeoff technique. Just after lift off, the airplane encountered a crosswind from the left. The airplane veered to the right, toward a small bluff and the right main landing gear struck a shoreline embankment shearing off the right main landing gear. The airplane came to rest in a small pool of water. (-23) on April 26, 1998, at about 1230 adt, a wheel equipped Cessna 172M airplane, N8969V, sustained substantial damage during takeoff from a beach 34MILES west of Anchor Point, AK. The private certificated pilot and 3 passengers were not injured. The airplane was being operated under 14 CFR part 91 in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. A written statement from the pilot indicated that he had made a normal soft-field takeoff from a beach at clam cove. Immediately after takeoff the aircraft encounter ed a left crosswind and the airplane yawed to the right. The pilot further stated that a down draft caused the airplane to sink and the right main gear struck an embankment causing the right main gear to separate from the airplane. The airplane subsequently came to rest in a small pond.
As the FAA filed it
CROSSWIND TAKEOFF FROM A BEACH. ON LIFTOFF DIRFTED. RIGHT MAIN GEAR HIT A BLUFF. IMPACT TORE OFF GEAR. (FROM .4) THE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE DEPARTING FROM A SAND/GRAVEL BEACH. THE WIND WAS BLOWING FROM THE SOUTH ABOUT 7 TO 10 KNOTS. THE PILOT BEGAN THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT TAKE OFF TOWARD THE WEST, UTILIZING A SHORT FIELD TAKEOFF TECHNIQUE. JUST AFTER LIFT OFF, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A CROSSWIND FROM THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT, TOWARD A SMALL BLUFF AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK A SHORELINE EMBANKMENT SHEARING OFF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN A SMALL POOL OF WATER. (-23) ON APRIL 26, 1998, AT ABOUT 1230 ADT, A WHEEL EQUIPPED CESSNA 172M AIRPLANE, N8969V, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING TAKEOFF FROM A BEACH 34MILES WEST OF ANCHOR POINT, AK. THE PRIVATE CERTIFICATED PILOT AND 3 PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. A WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE HAD MADE A NORMAL SOFT-FIELD TAKEOFF FROM A BEACH AT CLAM COVE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTER ED A LEFT CROSSWIND AND THE AIRPLANE YAWED TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT A DOWN DRAFT CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO SINK AND THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR STRUCK AN EMBANKMENT CAUSING THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR TO SEPARATE FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY CAME TO REST IN A SMALL POND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.