What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot and passenger landed in a hunting location shortly after high winds in the area became present. The pilot and passenger stayed in that location for two days. On the second day the winds had calmed down and the pilot chose to attempt a cross wind takeoff. The cross wind prohibited the aircraft from becoming airborne in time and the aircraft came to rest in a shallow river just past the end of the impromptu airstrip. The pilot and passenger suffered minor injuries and were able to exit the aircraft on their own. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The cross wind that was present extended the take off run longer than the pilot anticipated. The lack of forward relative wind was the primary factor involved which prevented the aircraft from taking flight in the specified runway (airstrip) distance.
The pilot was counseled by the investigating inspector about safe practices and judgement on takeoff abortions.
Please see ptrs# 201804492
As the FAA filed it
PILOT AND PASSENGER LANDED IN A HUNTING LOCATION SHORTLY AFTER HIGH WINDS IN THE AREA BECAME PRESENT. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER STAYED IN THAT LOCATION FOR TWO DAYS. ON THE SECOND DAY THE WINDS HAD CALMED DOWN AND THE PILOT CHOSE TO ATTEMPT A CROSS WIND TAKEOFF. THE CROSS WIND PROHIBITED THE AIRCRAFT FROM BECOMING AIRBORNE IN TIME AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A SHALLOW RIVER JUST PAST THE END OF THE IMPROMPTU AIRSTRIP. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AND WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT ON THEIR OWN. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE CROSS WIND THAT WAS PRESENT EXTENDED THE TAKE OFF RUN LONGER THAN THE PILOT ANTICIPATED. THE LACK OF FORWARD RELATIVE WIND WAS THE PRIMARY FACTOR INVOLVED WHICH PREVENTED THE AIRCRAFT FROM TAKING FLIGHT IN THE SPECIFIED RUNWAY (AIRSTRIP) DISTANCE.
THE PILOT WAS COUNSELED BY THE INVESTIGATING INSPECTOR ABOUT SAFE PRACTICES AND JUDGEMENT ON TAKEOFF ABORTIONS.
PLEASE SEE PTRS# 201804492
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.