What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Us fish and wildlife service flight. Left wing hit ground on a crosswind beach takeoff failed proper control use. (From .4) the certificated commercial pilot and a passenger, were departing a remote area of beach in a tail wheel equipped airplane. The U.S. Government flight was for the purpose of picking up the passenger who had been engaged in a fishery surveillance. The pilot began the takeoff roll toward the west, paralleling the shoreline. A crosswind from the southwest was blowing from the beach toward the water. During takeoff, the airplane veered to the right. The pilot lost directional control of the airplane, and the airplane dropped off the edge of a 5 foot high sand dune and hit in an area of hard, wet sand. The airplane subsequently ground looped to the right, and sustained substantial damage. (-23) a department of interior aircraft, operated by fish and wildlife, crashed during takeoff from a remote beach on unimak island. The pilot began a takeoff paralleling the shoreline. A right crosswind of about 12 knots was blowing from the water toward the beach. During the takeoff the airplane lifted off but was blown to the left. The left wing struck the ground and th e airplane came to rest upright after pivoting about 160 degrees.
As the FAA filed it
US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE FLIGHT. LEFT WING HIT GROUND ON A CROSSWIND BEACH TAKEOFF FAILED PROPER CONTROL USE. (FROM .4) THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND A PASSENGER, WERE DEPARTING A REMOTE AREA OF BEACH IN A TAIL WHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE. THE U.S. GOVERNMENT FLIGHT WAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PICKING UP THE PASSENGER WHO HAD BEEN ENGAGED IN A FISHERY SURVEILLANCE. THE PILOT BEGAN THE TAKEOFF ROLL TOWARD THE WEST, PARALLELING THE SHORELINE. A CROSSWIND FROM THE SOUTHWEST WAS BLOWING FROM THE BEACH TOWARD THE WATER. DURING TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, AND THE AIRPLANE DROPPED OFF THE EDGE OF A 5 FOOT HIGH SAND DUNE AND HIT IN AN AREA OF HARD, WET SAND. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY GROUND LOOPED TO THE RIGHT, AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (-23) A DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR AIRCRAFT, OPERATED BY FISH AND WILDLIFE, CRASHED DURING TAKEOFF FROM A REMOTE BEACH ON UNIMAK ISLAND. THE PILOT BEGAN A TAKEOFF PARALLELING THE SHORELINE. A RIGHT CROSSWIND OF ABOUT 12 KNOTS WAS BLOWING FROM THE WATER TOWARD THE BEACH. DURING THE TAKEOFF THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF BUT WAS BLOWN TO THE LEFT. THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND AND TH E AIRPLANE CAME TO REST UPRIGHT AFTER PIVOTING ABOUT 160 DEGREES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.