What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The pilot privacy data omitted was the pilot in command of a DHC-2 beaver equipped with floats on a FAR part 91 flight. He elected to take off on a stretch of the alagnak river in an easterly direction with approximately 2000 feet of usable distance. There was a gusty condition of approximately 20 to 25 knots from a northerly direction. The pilot made the decision to take off up river with a left crosswind. The aircraft accelerated and got on step normally but would not accelerate to normal takeoff speed due to a switch in wind direction from a quartering to full tailwind. The pilot elected to abort the takeoff and the aircraft struck the river bank causing substantial damage to the aircraft. There was no injury.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF A DHC-2 BEAVER EQUIPPED WITH FLOATS ON A FAR PART 91 FLIGHT. HE ELECTED TO TAKE OFF ON A STRETCH OF THE ALAGNAK RIVER IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION WITH APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET OF USABLE DISTANCE. THERE WAS A GUSTY CONDITION OF APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 25 KNOTS FROM A NORTHERLY DIRECTION. THE PILOT MADE THE DECISION TO TAKE OFF UP RIVER WITH A LEFT CROSSWIND. THE AIRCRAFT ACCELERATED AND GOT ON STEP NORMALLY BUT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE TO NORMAL TAKEOFF SPEED DUE TO A SWITCH IN WIND DIRECTION FROM A QUARTERING TO FULL TAILWIND. THE PILOT ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF AND THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE RIVER BANK CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO INJURY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.