What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Airman was flying cargo out of gravel strip near e. susitna glacier. Airman landed prior without incident. Airman reported weather at the time to be light winds, not gusty, and favoring the direction used for takeoff. Airman reported he's taken off and landed on this gravel strip between 50-100 times prior over 15 years and had decided to split the cargo load into two trips, the 1st of which was being flown at the time of the accident. Airman said takeoff seemed normal and at the point where it would usually become airborne, the aircraft was still on the ground. The pilot continued the takeoff and left the ground as he struck brush at the end of the strip, which caused the aircraft to hit the ground, damaging the fuselage forward of the vertical stabilizer and the right wingtip. Airman suspects wind changed from headwind to tailwind or aircraft encountered a downdraft. Airman reported that approximately 15 minutes after the accident, the wind started to noticeably gust.
As the FAA filed it
AIRMAN WAS FLYING CARGO OUT OF GRAVEL STRIP NEAR E. SUSITNA GLACIER. AIRMAN LANDED PRIOR WITHOUT INCIDENT. AIRMAN REPORTED WEATHER AT THE TIME TO BE LIGHT WINDS, NOT GUSTY, AND FAVORING THE DIRECTION USED FOR TAKEOFF. AIRMAN REPORTED HE'S TAKEN OFF AND LANDED ON THIS GRAVEL STRIP BETWEEN 50-100 TIMES PRIOR OVER 15 YEARS AND HAD DECIDED TO SPLIT THE CARGO LOAD INTO TWO TRIPS, THE 1ST OF WHICH WAS BEING FLOWN AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AIRMAN SAID TAKEOFF SEEMED NORMAL AND AT THE POINT WHERE IT WOULD USUALLY BECOME AIRBORNE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL ON THE GROUND. THE PILOT CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF AND LEFT THE GROUND AS HE STRUCK BRUSH AT THE END OF THE STRIP, WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO HIT THE GROUND, DAMAGING THE FUSELAGE FORWARD OF THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND THE RIGHT WINGTIP. AIRMAN SUSPECTS WIND CHANGED FROM HEADWIND TO TAILWIND OR AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT. AIRMAN REPORTED THAT APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE WIND STARTED TO NOTICEABLY GUST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.