What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On March 9, 2003, about 0930 Alaska daylight time, a wheel/ski-equipped Cessna 185 airplane, N1613M, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain during an aborted takeoff from the Galena Airport, Galena, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under title 14, CFR part 91, when the accident occurred. The flight was being conducted in support of the iditarod trail dog sled race. The certificated commercial pilot and the two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan had been filed. The flight originated at the Galena Airport, and was en route to unalakleet, Alaska. During a telephone conversation with the national transportation safety board investigator-in-charge on March 9, the pilot reported that following an intersection departure from runway 07, about 50 feet above the runway, the airplane stopped climbing. The pilot added that the airplane's engine appeared to be producing full power, but the airplane still would not climb. He said that as the airplane neared the end of the runway, he closed the engine throttle in an effort to abort the takeoff, and land on the remaining runway. The airplane descended, and as the airplane's main landing gear struck the surface of the runway, the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane's left wing struck the runway, and the airplane ultimately veered off the left side of the runway, into an area of snow-covered terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. (-23) NTSB #ANC03LA031 privacy data omitted on March 9, 2003 at 0900 local time this Cessna 185, N1613M, was attempting a takeoff from runway 7 at the edward g. pitka sr. airport in Galena, Alaska. During the takeoff roll the pilot did not notice anything out of the ordinary. When the pilot obtained an altitude of 50 feet, the aircraft would not climb any further. The aircraft pitched nose down and impacted the runway at a high enough angle to strike the propeller causing the propeller governor to fail. The aircraft then struck a runway light bending the left wing 4 feet from the tip. The left main landing gear then departed the aircraft. The aircraft came to rest 1000 feet from the initial impact point facing 130 degrees left of the initi al heading. There was substantial red hydraulic fluid from the propeller hub which covered the windshield, wing struts, horizontal stabilizer and engine cowling. One passenger had to have stitches under his nose, otherwise there were no other reported injuries.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON MARCH 9, 2003, ABOUT 0930 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL/SKI-EQUIPPED CESSNA 185 AIRPLANE, N1613M, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF FROM THE GALENA AIRPORT, GALENA, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 91, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED IN SUPPORT OF THE IDITAROD TRAIL DOG SLED RACE. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THE TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE GALENA AIRPORT, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO UNALAKLEET, ALASKA. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE ON MARCH 9, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT FOLLOWING AN INTERSECTION DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 07, ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY, THE AIRPLANE STOPPED CLIMBING. THE PILOT ADDED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE APPEARED TO BE PRODUCING FULL POWER, BUT THE AIRPLANE STILL WOULD NOT CLIMB. HE SAID THAT AS THE AIRPLANE NEARED THE END OF THE RUNWAY, HE CLOSED THE ENGINE THROTTLE IN AN EFFORT TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF, AND LAND ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED, AND AS THE AIRPLANE'S MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE SURFACE OF THE RUNWAY, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING STRUCK THE RUNWAY, AND THE AIRPLANE ULTIMATELY VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, INTO AN AREA OF SNOW-COVERED TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND LEFT WING. (-23) NTSB #ANC03LA031 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED ON MARCH 9, 2003 AT 0900 LOCAL TIME THIS CESSNA 185, N1613M, WAS ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 7 AT THE EDWARD G. PITKA SR. AIRPORT IN GALENA, ALASKA. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE PILOT DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. WHEN THE PILOT OBTAINED AN ALTITUDE OF 50 FEET, THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLIMB ANY FURTHER. THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED NOSE DOWN AND IMPACTED THE RUNWAY AT A HIGH ENOUGH ANGLE TO STRIKE THE PROPELLER CAUSING THE PROPELLER GOVERNOR TO FAIL. THE AIRCRAFT THEN STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT BENDING THE LEFT WING 4 FEET FROM THE TIP. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR THEN DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST 1000 FEET FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT FACING 130 DEGREES LEFT OF THE INITI AL HEADING. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL RED HYDRAULIC FLUID FROM THE PROPELLER HUB WHICH COVERED THE WINDSHIELD, WING STRUTS, HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ENGINE COWLING. ONE PASSENGER HAD TO HAVE STITCHES UNDER HIS NOSE, OTHERWISE THERE WERE NO OTHER REPORTED INJURIES.
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 N1613M · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.