What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Wind shift after water takeoff. Settled into subdivision. Hit tree, pickup and lightpole. The airline transport pilot was departing from a lake in a float equipped airplane. He stated that once airborne, the airplane would not climb. As the airplane neared the end of the lake, the pilot said that the airplane would not maintain altitude, forcing his to land on a road in a housing development adjacent to the departure end of the lake. The pilot said: 'I just hit a downdraft at the end of the lake. I just couldn't climb out.' The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane, and that the engine was producing sufficient power. During the landing, the airplane struck a tree and a pickup truck with two occupants inside. The two occupants of the pickup truck were not injured. The pilot said the wind conditions at the time of the accident were from the southeast at 10 knots, with peak gusts to 15 knots. (-23) on July 23, 1998, about 1432 adt, N206F, a float equipped Cessna 206 airplane, sustained substantial damage after takeoff from Campbell Lake, anchorage, Alaska. VFR part 91 flight with two people on board. The pilot was not injured, but the passenger received minor injuries. It appears that wind and turbulence was a factor. The airplane had an unscheduled stop in a subdivision, striking a tree, a pickup and a lightpole coming to rest pointing the same direction as flight. There were no people on the ground injured. This is preliminary and will be amended in the near future. 08/05/98 jpl
As the FAA filed it
WIND SHIFT AFTER WATER TAKEOFF. SETTLED INTO SUBDIVISION. HIT TREE, PICKUP AND LIGHTPOLE. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS DEPARTING FROM A LAKE IN A FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRPLANE. HE STATED THAT ONCE AIRBORNE, THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT CLIMB. AS THE AIRPLANE NEARED THE END OF THE LAKE, THE PILOT SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE, FORCING HIS TO LAND ON A ROAD IN A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ADJACENT TO THE DEPARTURE END OF THE LAKE. THE PILOT SAID: 'I JUST HIT A DOWNDRAFT AT THE END OF THE LAKE. I JUST COULDN'T CLIMB OUT.' THE PILOT NOTED THAT THERE WERE NO PREACCIDENT MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE, AND THAT THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING SUFFICIENT POWER. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TREE AND A PICKUP TRUCK WITH TWO OCCUPANTS INSIDE. THE TWO OCCUPANTS OF THE PICKUP TRUCK WERE NOT INJURED. THE PILOT SAID THE WIND CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE FROM THE SOUTHEAST AT 10 KNOTS, WITH PEAK GUSTS TO 15 KNOTS. (-23) ON JULY 23, 1998, ABOUT 1432 ADT, N206F, A FLOAT EQUIPPED CESSNA 206 AIRPLANE, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER TAKEOFF FROM CAMPBELL LAKE, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. VFR PART 91 FLIGHT WITH TWO PEOPLE ON BOARD. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, BUT THE PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. IT APPEARS THAT WIND AND TURBULENCE WAS A FACTOR. THE AIRPLANE HAD AN UNSCHEDULED STOP IN A SUBDIVISION, STRIKING A TREE, A PICKUP AND A LIGHTPOLE COMING TO REST POINTING THE SAME DIRECTION AS FLIGHT. THERE WERE NO PEOPLE ON THE GROUND INJURED. THIS IS PRELIMINARY AND WILL BE AMENDED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. 08/05/98 JPL
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.