19990911025419A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr S-4 · Anchorage, AK · September 11, 1999

Date
September 11, 1999 · 11:14 local
Place
Anchorage, AK
Airport
Sandlake
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4BZ
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC99LA143
Reported as
Amtr S4
Reported engine
Lycoming O320*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
900 total33 in this make and model

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

19) On September 11, 1999, about 1145 Alaska daylight time, a float equip ped homebuilt/experiemental william diehl, interstate S-4 airplane, N4BZ, sustained substantial damage while taking off from a private lake, at Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. During a telephone conversation with the national transportation safety board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (iic), on September 13, 1999, the pilot reported he was departing from sand lake toward the east. He began his departure from a cove at the wwest end of the lake. During a taxi turn to the left, the water rudders were extended and displaced to the left. The pilot said the water rudders are stiff when they are deployed. During the take off run, the pilot left the water rudders extended. When the airplane became airborne, the pilot said the airplane continued to turn left, struck a small boat dock, the top of a small boat, and then collided with trees along the edge of the lake. A federal aviation administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector, Anchorage flight standards district office (FSDO), reported that he inspected the airplane at the accident scene. The airplane received damage to the left wing, the left wing lift strut, and the left float. The inspector said the distance from the cove used for departure to the dock was about 500 feet. The distance from the dock to the trees was about 100 feet. (-23) aircraft was configured on floats. During takeoff from sand lake, AK (a small lake in east Anchorage), Mr. Kyzer lost control of the aircraft and struck a small boat dock, then a small recreational boat, and subsequently a stand of trees along the lake edge. Severe damage occured to the floats and to the left wing of the aircraft. (.4) the pilot was taking off from a private lake in a homebuilt/experimental float equipped airplane. While waiting for a departure clearance, he was taxiing in a tight left turn in a cove located at the west end of the lake. The water rudders were extended and displaced to the left. The pilot said the water rudders are stiff when they are deployed. After receiving his cl earance, he began his departure from the cove. During the takeoff run, he left the water rudders extended. When the airplane became airborne, he said the airplane continued to turn left. He was unable to prevent the airplane from colliding with a small boat dock, and the top of a small boat. The airplane then collided with trees along the edge of the lake. An FAA inspector said the distance from the cove used for departure to the dock was about 500 feet. The distance from the dock to the trees was about 100 feet. In the pilot/operator report (NTSB form 6120.1/2) submitted by the pilot, he stated, in part: '...at rotation, could not control p-factor of engine with max right rudder.' The pilot also indicated there was no mechanical malfunction/failure.

As the FAA filed it

19) ON SEPTEMBER 11, 1999, ABOUT 1145 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A FLOAT EQUIP PED HOMEBUILT/EXPERIEMENTAL WILLIAM DIEHL, INTERSTATE S-4 AIRPLANE, N4BZ, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHILE TAKING OFF FROM A PRIVATE LAKE, AT ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT. THE PRIVATE CERTIFICATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC), ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1999, THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS DEPARTING FROM SAND LAKE TOWARD THE EAST. HE BEGAN HIS DEPARTURE FROM A COVE AT THE WWEST END OF THE LAKE. DURING A TAXI TURN TO THE LEFT, THE WATER RUDDERS WERE EXTENDED AND DISPLACED TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT SAID THE WATER RUDDERS ARE STIFF WHEN THEY ARE DEPLOYED. DURING THE TAKE OFF RUN, THE PILOT LEFT THE WATER RUDDERS EXTENDED. WHEN THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE, THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO TURN LEFT, STRUCK A SMALL BOAT DOCK, THE TOP OF A SMALL BOAT, AND THEN COLLIDED WITH TREES ALONG THE EDGE OF THE LAKE. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR, ANCHORAGE FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE (FSDO), REPORTED THAT HE INSPECTED THE AIRPLANE AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING, THE LEFT WING LIFT STRUT, AND THE LEFT FLOAT. THE INSPECTOR SAID THE DISTANCE FROM THE COVE USED FOR DEPARTURE TO THE DOCK WAS ABOUT 500 FEET. THE DISTANCE FROM THE DOCK TO THE TREES WAS ABOUT 100 FEET. (-23) AIRCRAFT WAS CONFIGURED ON FLOATS. DURING TAKEOFF FROM SAND LAKE, AK (A SMALL LAKE IN EAST ANCHORAGE), MR. KYZER LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND STRUCK A SMALL BOAT DOCK, THEN A SMALL RECREATIONAL BOAT, AND SUBSEQUENTLY A STAND OF TREES ALONG THE LAKE EDGE. SEVERE DAMAGE OCCURED TO THE FLOATS AND TO THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT. (.4) THE PILOT WAS TAKING OFF FROM A PRIVATE LAKE IN A HOMEBUILT/EXPERIMENTAL FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRPLANE. WHILE WAITING FOR A DEPARTURE CLEARANCE, HE WAS TAXIING IN A TIGHT LEFT TURN IN A COVE LOCATED AT THE WEST END OF THE LAKE. THE WATER RUDDERS WERE EXTENDED AND DISPLACED TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT SAID THE WATER RUDDERS ARE STIFF WHEN THEY ARE DEPLOYED. AFTER RECEIVING HIS CL EARANCE, HE BEGAN HIS DEPARTURE FROM THE COVE. DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN, HE LEFT THE WATER RUDDERS EXTENDED. WHEN THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE, HE SAID THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO TURN LEFT. HE WAS UNABLE TO PREVENT THE AIRPLANE FROM COLLIDING WITH A SMALL BOAT DOCK, AND THE TOP OF A SMALL BOAT. THE AIRPLANE THEN COLLIDED WITH TREES ALONG THE EDGE OF THE LAKE. AN FAA INSPECTOR SAID THE DISTANCE FROM THE COVE USED FOR DEPARTURE TO THE DOCK WAS ABOUT 500 FEET. THE DISTANCE FROM THE DOCK TO THE TREES WAS ABOUT 100 FEET. IN THE PILOT/OPERATOR REPORT (NTSB FORM 6120.1/2) SUBMITTED BY THE PILOT, HE STATED, IN PART: '...AT ROTATION, COULD NOT CONTROL P-FACTOR OF ENGINE WITH MAX RIGHT RUDDER.' THE PILOT ALSO INDICATED THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION/FAILURE.

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 N4BZ · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.