What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed on take-off and sustained substantial damage, other circumstances are unknown. (.19) on August 20, 1999, about 1430 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped, Piper PA-18, N82905, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain after takeoff from an off airport site about 45 miles south-southeast of Sleetmute, Alaska, at position 60 degrees 58 minutes north latitude, 157 degrees 22 minutes west longitude. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries, and the one passenger on board was not injured. The airplane was operated under 14 CFR part 91 by restoration through recreation - alaskan adventures, of rocklin, California, in support of the owner's hunting-guide business. The flight was departing the ridgetop landing area for the guide's camp on the hoholitna river, Alaska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company VFR flight plan was filed. During a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge (iic) on August 23, the pilot stated that during the takeoff, the airplane struck a two inch diameter, four feet tall tree. He indicated he smelled fuel, and the engine quit. The pilot made a forced lan ding into trees below the ridge, damaging the right landing gear mount. The engine gascolator separated from the airplane, and was found next to the tree which the airplane struck. (-23) on August 21, 1999, at approximately 1430 hours, the aircraft was blown off the ridge on taylor mountain right after take-off. The engine quit producing power at 500 feet AGL due to aircraft striking tree after being airborne and severing the gascolator. The aircraft sustained substantial damages but was repaired on site for a one time flight to a repair facility, feery permit was obtained from the anchorage FSDO. Note: this accident case is being turned over to the operations department for further investigation.(.4) during takeoff from an off airport ridgetop landing area, the airplane struck a two inch diameter, four feet tall bush. The pilot said he smelled fuel, and the engine quit. The pilot made a forced landing into trees below the ridge, damaging the right landing gear mount. The engine gascolator separated from the airplane, and was found next to the first bush which the airplane impacted.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED ON TAKE-OFF AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON AUGUST 20, 1999, ABOUT 1430 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A TUNDRA TIRE EQUIPPED, PIPER PA-18, N82905, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN AFTER TAKEOFF FROM AN OFF AIRPORT SITE ABOUT 45 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF SLEETMUTE, ALASKA, AT POSITION 60 DEGREES 58 MINUTES NORTH LATITUDE, 157 DEGREES 22 MINUTES WEST LONGITUDE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND THE ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 BY RESTORATION THROUGH RECREATION - ALASKAN ADVENTURES, OF ROCKLIN, CALIFORNIA, IN SUPPORT OF THE OWNER'S HUNTING-GUIDE BUSINESS. THE FLIGHT WAS DEPARTING THE RIDGETOP LANDING AREA FOR THE GUIDE'S CAMP ON THE HOHOLITNA RIVER, ALASKA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND A COMPANY VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) ON AUGUST 23, THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TWO INCH DIAMETER, FOUR FEET TALL TREE. HE INDICATED HE SMELLED FUEL, AND THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LAN DING INTO TREES BELOW THE RIDGE, DAMAGING THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR MOUNT. THE ENGINE GASCOLATOR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE, AND WAS FOUND NEXT TO THE TREE WHICH THE AIRPLANE STRUCK. (-23) ON AUGUST 21, 1999, AT APPROXIMATELY 1430 HOURS, THE AIRCRAFT WAS BLOWN OFF THE RIDGE ON TAYLOR MOUNTAIN RIGHT AFTER TAKE-OFF. THE ENGINE QUIT PRODUCING POWER AT 500 FEET AGL DUE TO AIRCRAFT STRIKING TREE AFTER BEING AIRBORNE AND SEVERING THE GASCOLATOR. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGES BUT WAS REPAIRED ON SITE FOR A ONE TIME FLIGHT TO A REPAIR FACILITY, FEERY PERMIT WAS OBTAINED FROM THE ANCHORAGE FSDO. NOTE: THIS ACCIDENT CASE IS BEING TURNED OVER TO THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION.(.4) DURING TAKEOFF FROM AN OFF AIRPORT RIDGETOP LANDING AREA, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TWO INCH DIAMETER, FOUR FEET TALL BUSH. THE PILOT SAID HE SMELLED FUEL, AND THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING INTO TREES BELOW THE RIDGE, DAMAGING THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR MOUNT. THE ENGINE GASCOLATOR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE, AND WAS FOUND NEXT TO THE FIRST BUSH WHICH THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N82905 · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.