What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was taking off from the chandalar river next to Arctic Village. The aircraft was on floats. There was a slight cross wind. During takeoff roll he followed the river around a slight bend. When he made the bend the crosswind became a tailwind. He felt the aircraft was not going to lift off in time to clear the river bank or trees so he aborted the takeoff. He shutdown the engine. The current of the river pushed the aircraft and ran the right float into the gravel shore. Then the current spun the aircraft counter clockwise and the left float hit the gravel shore causing the aircraft to tip over and the left wing tip hit the river bank . The left wingtip and aileron was bent upwards approximately 12 inches from the wing tip. No injuries or other damage to the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS TAKING OFF FROM THE CHANDALAR RIVER NEXT TO ARCTIC VILLAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON FLOATS. THERE WAS A SLIGHT CROSS WIND. DURING TAKEOFF ROLL HE FOLLOWED THE RIVER AROUND A SLIGHT BEND. WHEN HE MADE THE BEND THE CROSSWIND BECAME A TAILWIND. HE FELT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT GOING TO LIFT OFF IN TIME TO CLEAR THE RIVER BANK OR TREES SO HE ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. HE SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE. THE CURRENT OF THE RIVER PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT AND RAN THE RIGHT FLOAT INTO THE GRAVEL SHORE. THEN THE CURRENT SPUN THE AIRCRAFT COUNTER CLOCKWISE AND THE LEFT FLOAT HIT THE GRAVEL SHORE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO TIP OVER AND THE LEFT WING TIP HIT THE RIVER BANK . THE LEFT WINGTIP AND AILERON WAS BENT UPWARDS APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES FROM THE WING TIP. NO INJURIES OR OTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.
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 N5227R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.