20230725009879A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A) · Point Baker, AK · July 25, 2023

Date: July 25, 2023 · 17:10 local
Place: Point Baker, AK
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: K5WA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N6782L
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC23LA057
Reported as: Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A)
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,700 total1,500 in this make and model250 in the last 90 days

N6782LRegistered now · Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A)S/N 820 · Built 1955 Airframe modelDehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A)Engine modelPratt & Whitney R-985 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 attempted to conduct a downwind takeoff with an approximate 10 knot tailwind out of Point Baker, AK. The way the cove is situated makes for a one way in and one way out situation. As the pilot started his takeoff run and just as the aircraft was coming up on step, a wind gust hit the aircraft causing the pilot to lose directional control. The pilot aborted the take off, but could not regain directional control prior to the left wing struck a pole on the outside of a float house. Once the left wing struck the pole, the aircraft turned 90 degrees to the left forcing the right wing around. The right wing then struck the flybridge of a commercial fishing vessel, and the aircraft came to a stop.

There is no weather monitoring equipment in the area, but witnesses, weather observers, residents reported strong winds with wind gusts.

See sas task T-AL05-FY23-0124 and linked sas activity AL05202301206 for further details

As the FAA filed it

PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CONDUCT A DOWNWIND TAKEOFF WITH AN APPROXIMATE 10 KNOT TAILWIND OUT OF POINT BAKER, AK. THE WAY THE COVE IS SITUATED MAKES FOR A ONE WAY IN AND ONE WAY OUT SITUATION. AS THE PILOT STARTED HIS TAKEOFF RUN AND JUST AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMING UP ON STEP, A WIND GUST HIT THE AIRCRAFT CAUSING THE PILOT TO LOSE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKE OFF, BUT COULD NOT REGAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL PRIOR TO THE LEFT WING STRUCK A POLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF A FLOAT HOUSE. ONCE THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE POLE, THE AIRCRAFT TURNED 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT FORCING THE RIGHT WING AROUND. THE RIGHT WING THEN STRUCK THE FLYBRIDGE OF A COMMERCIAL FISHING VESSEL, AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP.

THERE IS NO WEATHER MONITORING EQUIPMENT IN THE AREA, BUT WITNESSES, WEATHER OBSERVERS, RESIDENTS REPORTED STRONG WINDS WITH WIND GUSTS.

SEE SAS TASK T-AL05-FY23-0124 AND LINKED SAS ACTIVITY AL05202301206 FOR FURTHER DETAILS

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 ANC23LA057Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportPoint Baker, AKThe pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff with a quartering tailwind.Jul 26, 2023 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N6782L · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19940525032609AIdling Engines · Friday Harbor, WADuring docking pilot got out on float to avoid bumping dock. Pilots hand was struck by last turns of propeller.May 25, 1994 · Reported as Dhav DHC2MK1