- Date
- September 5, 2008, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Galena, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N4BZDiehl William A S-4
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 11, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20080905850739A
- Case key
- 69166
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain pitch control of the airplane during takeoff, and the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The solo private pilot of the float-equipped airplane, was taking off from a remote lake, for a personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. According to the pilot of the helicopter that recovered the airplane, the accident pilot told him that he was taking off from the lake, and the airplane would not come up on step. He told the helicopter pilot that he didn't think he had pumped all the water out of the floats prior to takeoff, and that during the takeoff roll he lost control and the airplane impacted the water. The helicopter pilot said there was substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage.
Factual narrative
The solo private pilot of the float-equipped airplane, was taking off from a remote lake for a personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. According to the pilot of the helicopter that recovered the airplane, the accident pilot told him that he was taking off from the lake, and the airplane would not come up on step. He told the helicopter pilot that he didn't think he had pumped all the water out of the floats prior to takeoff, and that during the takeoff roll he lost control, and the airplane impacted the water. The helicopter pilot said there was substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot did not complete an NTSB accident report form as requested.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4BZ
- Reported as
- Diehl William A S-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 004
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kyzer David D
- Registered owner
- Kyzer David D
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- Galena, AK
- Destination
- Galena, AK
- Flight plan
- Unknown
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 1 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4BZ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.