20210909017989A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aeronca 15AC · North Pole, AK · September 9, 2021

Date: September 9, 2021 · 20:00 local
Place: North Pole, AK
Airport: Airway
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N1441H
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC21LA087
Reported as: Aeronca 15AC
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot

N1441HRegistered now · Aeronca 15ACS/N 15AC-506 Airframe modelAeronca 15AC Engine modelContinental C145 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot stated he was doing a touch and go on the float pond to the south of 5AK3. Contact with the water was made at about 1600 feet down the pond that is about 2500 feet long. The water was calm and glassy at the time. After contact with water was made he immediately began his climb out with everything appearing normal. The pilot veered to the right at the end of the float pond/beginning of the runway and contacted a tree that was about a 150 feet from the end of the float pond and an estimated 80 feet tall. The center line of the float pond is about 50 feet to the east of the center line of the runway. The trees are located about 30 feet to the east of the float pond centerline. The right wing was the first part of the aircraft to hit the tree and immediately after hit another tree that took out the windshield. An attempt was made to return to land at the float pond. During this attempt the aircraft stalled and landed in the trees and power line.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED HE WAS DOING A TOUCH AND GO ON THE FLOAT POND TO THE SOUTH OF 5AK3. CONTACT WITH THE WATER WAS MADE AT ABOUT 1600 FEET DOWN THE POND THAT IS ABOUT 2500 FEET LONG. THE WATER WAS CALM AND GLASSY AT THE TIME. AFTER CONTACT WITH WATER WAS MADE HE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN HIS CLIMB OUT WITH EVERYTHING APPEARING NORMAL. THE PILOT VEERED TO THE RIGHT AT THE END OF THE FLOAT POND/BEGINNING OF THE RUNWAY AND CONTACTED A TREE THAT WAS ABOUT A 150 FEET FROM THE END OF THE FLOAT POND AND AN ESTIMATED 80 FEET TALL. THE CENTER LINE OF THE FLOAT POND IS ABOUT 50 FEET TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER LINE OF THE RUNWAY. THE TREES ARE LOCATED ABOUT 30 FEET TO THE EAST OF THE FLOAT POND CENTERLINE. THE RIGHT WING WAS THE FIRST PART OF THE AIRCRAFT TO HIT THE TREE AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER HIT ANOTHER TREE THAT TOOK OUT THE WINDSHIELD. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO RETURN TO LAND AT THE FLOAT POND. DURING THIS ATTEMPT THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND LANDED IN THE TREES AND POWER LINE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC21LA087Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportNorth Pole, AKThe pilot’s failure to ensure adequate obstacle clearance while maneuvering, which resulted in a collision with a tree and a loss of control.Sep 10, 2021 · Substantial damage