- Date
- July 23, 2009, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tok, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N39226Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090723025299A
- Case key
- 74360
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 clearance from a parked truck during takeoff from a roadway, resulting in a collision with the truck.
Findings · 3
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 private pilot was taking off on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight from a road, after having made a precautionary landing due to a rough running engine. He said he landed on the roadway after his engine started to run rough, and he then drained what he believed was water contaminated fuel from the airplane's fuel tanks. He said after draining the contaminated fuel and restarting the engine, the engine sounded like it was running fine, and he decided to take off from the road. During the takeoff roll he said he misjudged clearance from a parked truck, and struck it with the left wing. The pilot said other than the contaminated fuel, there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane. The airplane received substantial damage to the left wing during the accident.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was taking off on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight from a road, after having made a precautionary landing due to a rough running engine. He said he landed on the roadway after his engine started to run rough, and he then drained what he believed was water contaminated fuel from the airplane's fuel tanks. He said after draining the contaminated fuel and restarting the engine, the engine sounded like it was running fine, and he decided to take off from the road. During the takeoff roll he said he misjudged clearance from a parked truck, and struck it with the left wing. The pilot said other than the contaminated fuel, there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane. The airplane received substantial damage to the left wing during the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N39226
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6480
- Airframe hours
- 1,946
- Engine
- Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bollerud Jim
- Registered owner
- Bollerud Jim
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Tok, AK
- Destination
- Tok, AK
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 786 total · 786 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 21,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 9, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 621 KB in all.
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 N39226 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.