What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was shuttling passengers 14 miles up the swift river to a new camp site. Pilot was beginning takeoff roll with tail wheel off ground when aircraft veered right. Pilot attempted to correct with rudder and left brake followed quickly by reducing power. No recovery of directional control before right main wheel entered ditch in gravel bar followed by contact with willow bushes which caused aircraft to flip up onto spinner and continue completely over to upside down. Both wingtips were in contact with ground on either side of ditch and wings shifted causing wing support struts to collapse on both sides. After the accident the pilot determined that passenger had inadvertently applied right brake. Pilot said there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. ELT was activated by accident and was turned off by pilot. Aircraft was located by another company aircraft and radio communications were initiated by pilot to effect rescue.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS SHUTTLING PASSENGERS 14 MILES UP THE SWIFT RIVER TO A NEW CAMP SITE.PILOT WAS BEGINNING TAKEOFF ROLL WITH TAIL WHEEL OFF GROUND WHEN AIRCRAFT VEERED RIGHT. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT WITH RUDDER AND LEFT BRAKE FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY REDUCING POWER. NO RECOVERY OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL BEFORE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL ENTERED DITCH IN GRAVEL BAR FOLLOWED BY CONTACT WITH WILLOW BUSHES WHICH CAUSED AIRCRAFT TO FLIP UP ONTO SPINNER AND CONTINUE COMPLETELY OVER TO UPSIDE DOWN. BOTH WINGTIPS WERE IN CONTACT WITH GROUND ON EITHER SIDE OF DITCH AND WINGS SHIFTED CAUSING WING SUPPORT STRUTS TO COLLAPSE ON BOTH SIDES.AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT PASSENGER HAD INADVERTENTLY APPLIED RIGHT BRAKE.PILOT SAID THERE WERE NO PREACCIDENT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE. ELT WAS ACTIVATED BY ACCIDENT AND WAS TURNED OFF BY PILOT. AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED BY ANOTHER COMPANY AIRCRAFT AND RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WERE INITIATED BY PILOT TO EFFECT RESCUE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.