19990903025559A

(.19) On September 3, 1999, about 1930 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 207 airplane, N800DF, sustained substantial damage when it collided with a tree stump during the takeoff roll from a beach on chinitna bay, at 59 degrees 40 minutes north latitude, 153 degrees 10 minutes west longitude, about 25 miles southwest of Ninilchik, Alaska. The commercial pilot and the three passengers on board were not injured. The remaining two passengers sustained minor injuries. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR part 135 as an on demand air taxi flight, returning the five passengers to soldotna, Alaska, from a fishing charter. 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 September 3, the pilot stated that during the takeoff roll from the packed sand beach, the left wing contacted a tree stump, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing, nose gear, and engine. He said the load included the five passengers, their fishing gear, and two hours of fuel. He described the winds to be from the southwest at 10 knots, and he was taking off to the we st. the airplane was modified with a horton short take off and landing (stol) kit. (-23)I conducted an interview with the pilot and hte owner of the company. On the day of the accident, the woner stated they had been very busy which resulted in the pilot arriving at chinitna bay late to pick up passengers he had brought over earlier. Landings are done on the beach at shinitna bay. The pilot stated he landed and taxied past a tree that hed been brought in be the tide and wave action the previous year and had never been a factor. By arriving late the pilot was racing the tide which was coming in. He loaded his 5 passengers that he had brought in earlier, calculated the weight as less than when he brought them over, did a quick passenger briefing and was ready to depart. Because of the tide the takeoff run was slightly further up on the beach,but the pilot felt he had adequate separtion from the tree. As the aircraft accellerated past the tree the left wing tip made contact causing the aircraft to pivot to the left and nose gear failed. This beach site is used extensively by this operator but landing/takeoffs a re always further out on the beach. (.4) the airplane was taking off from a sand beach. The on-demand fishing charter flight was about one hour late, and the incoming tide had reduced the width of the available takeoff area. During the takeoff roll, the left wingtip struck a tree stump on the high side of the beach, separating about four feet of wing and the left aileron. The commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured. The remaining two passengers received minor injuries. During a telephone interview with the NTSB investigator-in-charge (iic), the pilot stated that the winds were from the southwest at 10 knots, and he was taking off to the west. The NTSB iic held telephone interviews with, and received written statements from, the passengers. They indicated that the pilot was in a hurry because of the incoming tide, and the late schedule. The pilot was taking off into the setting sun, and was not wearing sunglasses. According to the passengers, the pilot said he would wait for the sun to pass behind a cloud, but decided to depart.