What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Air taxi crashed on takeoff under unknown circumstances and sustained subs damage.(-23) the airman had approximately 160 lbs of moose meat tied down in the back seat of the aircraft with 1/2 tanks of gasoline. The aircraft was within weight and balance. The aircraft took off from an off airport location at little taylor mountain ridge 3 1/2 miles from taylor mountain mine. There was a 15 gusting to 25 knot, 45 deg to 60 deg right cross wind. The aircraft became airborne and drifted left, and over the ridge, touching down collapsing the main gear and destroying the left wing half way out from the aileron to the wing tip. The aircraft then slid on its belly approximately 300' before coming to rest, bending the fuselage 90 deg behind the rear baggage compartment, also causing extensive damage to the belly and vertical stabilizer and tail wheel assembly. The aircraft was a total loss. (.19) on September 26, 1998, at 1400 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-18, tundra tire equipped airplane, N5697Y, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during takeoff from an airport landing site, about 55 miles south-southeast of Sleetmute, Alaska. The solo commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was owned and operated by carl e. brent, dba Alaska trophy connection, of wasilla, Alaska. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 135, as an on demand air taxi flight supporting a hunting lodge. The flight was departing from a ridgetop landing site to transport caribou meat to the taylor mountain mine airstrip, three miles to the northwest. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company VFR flight plan was filed. The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge, during a telephone interview on September 27, that there was a crosswind from the right, gusting to 20 knots. He said that during the takeoff run, the wind got under the right wing, and the plane was tossed over the left edge of the ridge. (.4) the airplane was departing a ridgetop site with a right crosswind gusting to 25 knots. The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge that a gust of wind forced the airplane off the left side of the ridge, and the left wing struck the ground.
As the FAA filed it
AIR TAXI CRASHED ON TAKEOFF UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AND SUSTAINED SUBS DAMAGE.(-23) THE AIRMAN HAD APPROXIMATELY 160 LBS OF MOOSE MEAT TIED DOWN IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH 1/2 TANKS OF GASOLINE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS WITHIN WEIGHT AND BALANCE. THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM AN OFF AIRPORT LOCATION AT LITTLE TAYLOR MOUNTAIN RIDGE 3 1/2 MILES FROM TAYLOR MOUNTAIN MINE. THERE WAS A 15 GUSTING TO 25 KNOT, 45 DEG TO 60 DEG RIGHT CROSS WIND. THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AND DRIFTED LEFT, AND OVER THE RIDGE, TOUCHING DOWN COLLAPSING THE MAIN GEAR AND DESTROYING THE LEFT WING HALF WAY OUT FROM THE AILERON TO THE WING TIP. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SLID ON ITS BELLY APPROXIMATELY 300' BEFORE COMING TO REST, BENDING THE FUSELAGE 90 DEG BEHIND THE REAR BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT, ALSO CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE BELLY AND VERTICAL STABILIZER AND TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS A TOTAL LOSS. (.19) ON SEPTEMBER 26, 1998, AT 1400 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-18, TUNDRA TIRE EQUIPPED AIRPLANE, N5697Y, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT NOSED OVER DURING TAKEOFF FROM AN AIRPORT LANDING SITE, ABOUT 55 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF SLEETMUTE, ALASKA. THE SOLO COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY CARL E. BRENT, DBA ALASKA TROPHY CONNECTION, OF WASILLA, ALASKA. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 135, AS AN ON DEMAND AIR TAXI FLIGHT SUPPORTING A HUNTING LODGE. THE FLIGHT WAS DEPARTING FROM A RIDGETOP LANDING SITE TO TRANSPORT CARIBOU MEAT TO THE TAYLOR MOUNTAIN MINE AIRSTRIP, THREE MILES TO THE NORTHWEST. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND A COMPANY VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW ON SEPTEMBER 27, THAT THERE WAS A CROSSWIND FROM THE RIGHT, GUSTING TO 20 KNOTS. HE SAID THAT DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN, THE WIND GOT UNDER THE RIGHT WING, AND THE PLANE WAS TOSSED OVER THE LEFT EDGE OF THE RIDGE. (.4) THE AIRPLANE WAS DEPARTING A RIDGETOP SITE WITH A RIGHT CROSSWIND GUSTING TO 25 KNOTS. THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE THAT A GUST OF WIND FORCED THE AIRPLANE OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RIDGE, AND THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.