What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The following information was provided by the witness to the pilot's actions and subsequent takeoff. He stated the pilot could not start the rear engine due to the starter failing. The witness, who is also a pilot, offered to fly and pick up a new starter for the pilot. The pilot declined the offer and said he would do a single engine takeoff, using the front engine. The witness tried to talk the pilot out of such action, and said he would go pick up a new starter. The accident pilot again rejected this, stating he had done single engine takeoffs before, then proceeded to walk the runway and marked a go/no go spot on the 1900 foot runway. The witness said during the takeoff, the nose wheel was off the ground before the go/no go point and climbed to approx. 100 ft., appeared to stall and recover, then disappeared behind a hill. The witness then departed in his aircraft. Upon landing at the destination for both aircraft, he learned the other aircraft had not arrived. The witness said he then retraced his route back to Marshall Airport. An oil slick was noted on a small lake off the departure end of the runway. Investigating, they found the pilots body floating in the lake. The aircraft could not be seen, but by probing with an oar, the aircraft was found. It has since been removed from the lake. (-23 amendment) Mr. Irvine was flying as a missionary pilot, and he and a second aircraft had just dropped people off at Marshall, AK. When Mr. Irvine attempted to start the rear engine of the skymaster, the rear starter failed. The other pilot said he would fly back to their departure point and pick up another starter. Mr. Irvine stated he would do a single-engine takeoff, that he had done single engine takeoffs in the skymaster prior to this. The witness tried several times to talk the accident pilot out of taking off, but to no avail. During the takeoff, and after reaching an altitude of 50 to 100 ft. the aircraft stalled, appeared to recover and disappeared behind a hill. It was apparently at this point that the pilot selected the landing gear to the up position. The wreckage indicates a stall/spin, impacting the water in a nose down position. The VSI had a signature mark indicating 1500 feet per minute down at impacting. The wreckage signature would support this theory. The Cessna AFM warns against retracting the landing gear unt IL all obstacles area cleared.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED BY THE WITNESS TO THE PILOT'S ACTIONS AND SUBSEQUENT TAKEOFF. HE STATED THE PILOT COULD NOT START THE REAR ENGINE DUE TO THE STARTER FAILING. THE WITNESS, WHO IS ALSO A PILOT, OFFERED TO FLY AND PICK UP A NEW STARTER FOR THE PILOT. THE PILOT DECLINED THE OFFER AND SAID HE WOULD DO A SINGLE ENGINE TAKEOFF, USING THE FRONT ENGINE. THE WITNESS TRIED TO TALK THE PILOT OUT OF SUCH ACTION, AND SAID HE WOULD GO PICK UP A NEW STARTER. THE ACCIDENT PILOT AGAIN REJECTED THIS, STATING HE HAD DONE SINGLE ENGINE TAKEOFFS BEFORE, THEN PROCEEDED TO WALK THE RUNWAY AND MARKED A GO/NO GO SPOT ON THE 1900 FOOT RUNWAY. THE WITNESS SAID DURING THE TAKEOFF, THE NOSE WHEEL WAS OFF THE GROUND BEFORE THE GO/NO GO POINT AND CLIMBED TO APPROX. 100 FT., APPEARED TO STALL AND RECOVER, THEN DISAPPEARED BEHIND A HILL. THE WITNESS THEN DEPARTED IN HIS AIRCRAFT. UPON LANDING AT THE DESTINATION FOR BOTH AIRCRAFT, HE LEARNED THE OTHER AIRCRAFT HAD NOT ARRIVED. THE WITNESS SAID HE THEN RETRACED HIS ROUTE BACK TO MARSHALL AIRPORT. AN OIL SLICK WAS NOTED ON A SMALL LAKE OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. INVESTIGATING, THEY FOUND THE PILOTS BODY FLOATING IN THE LAKE. THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT BE SEEN, BUT BY PROBING WITH AN OAR, THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND. IT HAS SINCE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE LAKE. (-23 AMENDMENT) MR. IRVINE WAS FLYING AS A MISSIONARY PILOT, AND HE AND A SECOND AIRCRAFT HAD JUST DROPPED PEOPLE OFF AT MARSHALL, AK. WHEN MR. IRVINE ATTEMPTED TO START THE REAR ENGINE OF THE SKYMASTER, THE REAR STARTER FAILED. THE OTHER PILOT SAID HE WOULD FLY BACK TO THEIR DEPARTURE POINT AND PICK UP ANOTHER STARTER. MR. IRVINE STATED HE WOULD DO A SINGLE-ENGINE TAKEOFF, THAT HE HAD DONE SINGLE ENGINE TAKEOFFS IN THE SKYMASTER PRIOR TO THIS. THE WITNESS TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO TALK THE ACCIDENT PILOT OUT OF TAKING OFF, BUT TO NO AVAIL. DURING THE TAKEOFF, AND AFTER REACHING AN ALTITUDE OF 50 TO 100 FT. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED, APPEARED TO RECOVER AND DISAPPEARED BEHIND A HILL. IT WAS APPARENTLY AT THIS POINT THAT THE PILOT SELECTED THE LANDING GEAR TO THE UP POSITION. THE WRECKAGE INDICATES A STALL/SPIN, IMPACTING THE WATER IN A NOSE DOWN POSITION. THE VSI HAD A SIGNATURE MARK INDICATING 1500 FEET PER MINUTE DOWN AT IMPACTING. THE WRECKAGE SIGNATURE WOULD SUPPORT THIS THEORY. THE CESSNA AFM WARNS AGAINST RETRACTING THE LANDING GEAR UNT IL ALL OBSTACLES AREA CLEARED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.