What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed under unknown cicum and sustained sub damage. (.19) on September 24, 1998, about 1110 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-20 airplane, N2106A, sustained substantial damage during takeoff from an off airport gravel bar, about 42 miles southeast of mcgrath, Alaska, near position 62 degrees 30 minutes north latitude, 154 degrees 20 minutes west longitude. The private pilot and sole passenger were uninjured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR part 91 as a personal flight from a hunting camp to Farewell, Alaska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The accident pilot, and the pilot of another airplane that was using the same gravel bar, related to the NTSB investigator-in-charge during a telephone interview on September 25, 1998, that there was a left crosswind. During the takeoff roll, the airplane bounced, drifted to the right, the right wing contacted trees, and the left wheel hooked on a tree stump. (.4)the private pilot was taking off from a gravel bar with a narrow area free of obstructions. During the takeoff run, the airplane hit a berm, bounced into the air, and drifted to the right. The right wing contacted a tree, and the left tire hooked on a stump. (-23) pilot reported that on takeoff from a gravel bar the aircraft hit a dip or bump which allowed the aircraft to drift with the 3-5 mph cross wind, causing the right wing tip to strike some brush and the left gear leg to make contact with a tree root protruding from the river gravel. He reported that the aircraft was approximately 2 ft off the ground when it hit and spun in a clockwise direction and out of control. Neither occupants were injured in any manner as the aircraft absorbed all the energy produced during impact.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CICUM AND SUSTAINED SUB DAMAGE. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 24, 1998, ABOUT 1110 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-20 AIRPLANE, N2106A, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING TAKEOFF FROM AN OFF AIRPORT GRAVEL BAR, ABOUT 42 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MCGRATH, ALASKA, NEAR POSITION 62 DEGREES 30 MINUTES NORTH LATITUDE, 154 DEGREES 20 MINUTES WEST LONGITUDE. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND SOLE PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT FROM A HUNTING CAMP TO FAREWELL, ALASKA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE ACCIDENT PILOT, AND THE PILOT OF ANOTHER AIRPLANE THAT WAS USING THE SAME GRAVEL BAR, RELATED TO THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW ON SEPTEMBER 25, 1998, THAT THERE WAS A LEFT CROSSWIND. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED, DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED TREES, AND THE LEFT WHEEL HOOKED ON A TREE STUMP. (.4)THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS TAKING OFF FROM A GRAVEL BAR WITH A NARROW AREA FREE OF OBSTRUCTIONS. DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN, THE AIRPLANE HIT A BERM, BOUNCED INTO THE AIR, AND DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED A TREE, AND THE LEFT TIRE HOOKED ON A STUMP. (-23) PILOT REPORTED THAT ON TAKEOFF FROM A GRAVEL BAR THE AIRCRAFT HIT A DIP OR BUMP WHICH ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO DRIFT WITH THE 3-5 MPH CROSS WIND, CAUSING THE RIGHT WING TIP TO STRIKE SOME BRUSH AND THE LEFT GEAR LEG TO MAKE CONTACT WITH A TREE ROOT PROTRUDING FROM THE RIVER GRAVEL. HE REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 2 FT OFF THE GROUND WHEN IT HIT AND SPUN IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION AND OUT OF CONTROL. NEITHER OCCUPANTS WERE INJURED IN ANY MANNER AS THE AIRCRAFT ABSORBED ALL THE ENERGY PRODUCED DURING IMPACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.