What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Investigation: the airman landed on an unimproved surface (river bed gravel bar). After landing, he walked the takeoff path to remove any and all logs/rocks of size and check wind direction. After determining departure direction, based on wind direction, he taxied to the other end of the gravel bar. Taking into account altitude and runway length, the pilot determined it was safe for departure. The aircraft was properly configured for takeoff (flaps, power, mixture). On rotation, the aircraft became airborne then settled back to the surface and bounced. The plane was past the point of the calculated go/no go point. After the bounce, it became airborne for a few seconds and then started to descend again bouncing again with no runway left. The plane was airborne and gaining altitude when for a third time it decended into much larger rocks and flipped into the river.
As the FAA filed it
INVESTIGATION: THE AIRMAN LANDED ON AN UNIMPROVED SURFACE (RIVER BED GRAVEL BAR). AFTER LANDING, HE WALKED THE TAKEOFF PATH TO REMOVE ANY AND ALL LOGS/ROCKS OF SIZE AND CHECK WIND DIRECTION. AFTER DETERMINING DEPARTURE DIRECTION, BASED ON WIND DIRECTION, HE TAXIED TO THE OTHER END OF THE GRAVEL BAR. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALTITUDE AND RUNWAY LENGTH, THE PILOT DETERMINED IT WAS SAFE FOR DEPARTURE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PROPERLY CONFIGURED FOR TAKEOFF (FLAPS, POWER, MIXTURE). ON ROTATION, THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE THEN SETTLED BACK TO THE SURFACE AND BOUNCED. THE PLANE WAS PAST THE POINT OF THE CALCULATED GO/NO GO POINT. AFTER THE BOUNCE, IT BECAME AIRBORNE FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN STARTED TO DESCEND AGAIN BOUNCING AGAIN WITH NO RUNWAY LEFT. THE PLANE WAS AIRBORNE AND GAINING ALTITUDE WHEN FOR A THIRD TIME IT DECENDED INTO MUCH LARGER ROCKS AND FLIPPED INTO THE RIVER.
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 N3251Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.