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20031205033739A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172H · Chugiak, AK · December 5, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 5, 2003 · 15:00 local
Place
Chugiak, AK
Phase of flight
Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2459L
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC04LA012
Reported as
Cessna 172H
Reported engine
Lycoming O320D2G
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,300 total1,400 in this make and model11 in the last 90 days
N2459LRegistered now · Cessna 172HS/N 17255659 · Built 1966Airframe modelCessna 172HEngine modelContinental 0-300 seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23) On December 05, 2003, about 1500 local time, a Cessna 172, N2459L, sustained substantial damage, and then sank into eklutna lake when it collided with a log during takeoff from the bold airstrip, located about 14 miles southeast of Chugiak, Alaska. The airplane was equipped with wheels, and was being operated under visual flight rules (VFR). The flight originated from merrill field airport (mri) about one hour prior to the accident, and was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. During a telephone conversation with the federal aviation administration (FAA) investigator-in-charge (iic) on December 17, 2003, the pilot stated that he did not plan to land anywhere, but elected to land at the bold airstrip after overflying the strip and assessing the snow conditions. He stated that there were tracks on the strip from a previous aircraft and that gravel was visible in those tracks. The pilot said he thought there would be a couple of inches of snow on the strip, and he had operated in a couple of inches of snow before without any problem. After landing he discovered the snow was deeper than he anticipated, with a depth of about 6 to 7 inches. The pilot said that he taxied the aircraft back and forth on the 1000 foot long by 30-foot wide airstrip to pack the snow to provide a better takeoff surface. The pilot elected to depart to the north. The north end of bold airstrip extends to the shoreline of eklutna lake. Also at the north end of the strip, on the shoreline of eklutna lake is a large tree stump. The pilot said that he made several attempts to takeoff but aborted. On the third attempt the aircraft started flying but settled back onto the strip and bounced. He said that as the airplane passed over the departure end of the strip the aircraft collided with the tree stump, descended onto the lake surface and sank. The pilot was able to exit the aircraft prior to it sinking, and swam to shore.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON DECEMBER 05, 2003, ABOUT 1500 LOCAL TIME, A CESSNA 172, N2459L, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THEN SANK INTO EKLUTNA LAKE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A LOG DURING TAKEOFF FROM THE BOLD AIRSTRIP, LOCATED ABOUT 14 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CHUGIAK, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH WHEELS, AND WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR). THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM MERRILL FIELD AIRPORT (MRI) ABOUT ONE HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, AND WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) ON DECEMBER 17, 2003, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT PLAN TO LAND ANYWHERE, BUT ELECTED TO LAND AT THE BOLD AIRSTRIP AFTER OVERFLYING THE STRIP AND ASSESSING THE SNOW CONDITIONS. HE STATED THAT THERE WERE TRACKS ON THE STRIP FROM A PREVIOUS AIRCRAFT AND THAT GRAVEL WAS VISIBLE IN THOSE TRACKS. THE PILOT SAID HE THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE A COUPLE OF INCHES OF SNOW ON THE STRIP, AND HE HAD OPERATED IN A COUPLE OF INCHES OF SNOW BEFORE WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. AFTER LANDING HE DISCOVERED THE SNOW WAS DEEPER THAN HE ANTICIPATED, WITH A DEPTH OF ABOUT 6 TO 7 INCHES. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT BACK AND FORTH ON THE 1000 FOOT LONG BY 30-FOOT WIDE AIRSTRIP TO PACK THE SNOW TO PROVIDE A BETTER TAKEOFF SURFACE. THE PILOT ELECTED TO DEPART TO THE NORTH. THE NORTH END OF BOLD AIRSTRIP EXTENDS TO THE SHORELINE OF EKLUTNA LAKE. ALSO AT THE NORTH END OF THE STRIP, ON THE SHORELINE OF EKLUTNA LAKE IS A LARGE TREE STUMP. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO TAKEOFF BUT ABORTED. ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT THE AIRCRAFT STARTED FLYING BUT SETTLED BACK ONTO THE STRIP AND BOUNCED. HE SAID THAT AS THE AIRPLANE PASSED OVER THE DEPARTURE END OF THE STRIP THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE TREE STUMP, DESCENDED ONTO THE LAKE SURFACE AND SANK. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO IT SINKING, AND SWAM TO SHORE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC04LA012Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportChugiak, AKThe pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing/takeoff area, and his failure to abort the takeoff, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a stump, and subsequent loss of control. Factors associated with the accident were snow-covered terrain and a…Dec 5, 2003 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2459L · 2

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

Accident 19890901033659ATakeoff Ground Roll · Sparrevohn, AKWind blew plastic bucket into path of aircraft on takeoff from a gravel bar. Bucket damaged horizontal stabilizer.Sep 1, 1989 · Substantial damageAccident 19751108034769AFinal Approach · Lubbock, TXPlt didnt retract flaps & didnt use UNICOM.Nov 8, 1975 · Substantial damage