What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On July 17, 2002, at about 1800 adt, a wheel equipped Luscombe, LL-8-A airplane, N45796, sustained substantial damage following a failed take-off from a private airstrip about 31 miles east of Cordova, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a VFR personal flight under title 14, part 91, when the accident occurred. The private pilot and the passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was bound for the Cordova municipal airport, Cordova, AK. The pilot reported the initial attempted take-off to the south west was aborted at mid field because he felt there was insufficient space for a safe departure. He also stated, in his written statement that he felt better to take-off in a north easterly direction since there were no obstacles at the end and the winds were light and variable. The pilot stated a short field take-off technique was used and the Luscombe lifted-off before the end of the runway at normal take-off speed. He said after take-off and flying over the water, he flew into a down draft, the wheels contacted the water and the aircraft nosed over. He said the aircraft had no mechanical failures & the weight was within c.g limits.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JULY 17, 2002, AT ABOUT 1800 ADT, A WHEEL EQUIPPED LUSCOMBE, LL-8-A AIRPLANE, N45796, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING A FAILED TAKE-OFF FROM A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP ABOUT 31 MILES EAST OF CORDOVA, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE PILOT AS A VFR PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, PART 91, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT WAS BOUND FOR THE CORDOVA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, CORDOVA, AK. THE PILOT REPORTED THE INITIAL ATTEMPTED TAKE-OFF TO THE SOUTH WEST WAS ABORTED AT MID FIELD BECAUSE HE FELT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT SPACE FOR A SAFE DEPARTURE. HE ALSO STATED, IN HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT THAT HE FELT BETTER TO TAKE-OFF IN A NORTH EASTERLY DIRECTION SINCE THERE WERE NO OBSTACLES AT THE END AND THE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE. THE PILOT STATED A SHORT FIELD TAKE-OFF TECHNIQUE WAS USED AND THE LUSCOMBE LIFTED-OFF BEFORE THE END OF THE RUNWAY AT NORMAL TAKE-OFF SPEED. HE SAID AFTER TAKE-OFF AND FLYING OVER THE WATER, HE FLEW INTO A DOWN DRAFT, THE WHEELS CONTACTED THE WATER AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER. HE SAID THE AIRCRAFT HAD NO MECHANICAL FAILURES & THE WEIGHT WAS WITHIN C.G LIMITS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.