- Date
- October 5, 2009, 11:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- King Salmon, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N490KDehavilland DHC-2
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration (Operations)
- FAA report
- 20091005050119A
- Case key
- 74860
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 selection of an unsuitable takeoff area, and his decision to takeoff with a tailwind.
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 pilot reported that he was departing to the east with a 5 knot tailwind, in a float-equipped airplane, on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 other work use flight. He said that the purpose of the flight was to demobilize a remote fishing lodge at the end of the season. The pilot reported that during the takeoff run he realized that the airplane would not become airborne before reaching the departure end of the lake, and he closed the engine throttle in an attempt to abort the takeoff. The airplane’s floats struck the shoreline, and the airplane came to rest on the shore, about 75 yards from the lake, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, and in his written report to the NTSB, he attributed the accident to “pilot error.”
Factual narrative
The pilot reported he was departing to the east with a 5 knot tailwind, in a float-equipped airplane, on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 other work use flight. He said that the purpose of the flight was to demobilize a remote fishing lodge at the end of the season. The pilot reported that during the takeoff run he realized that the airplane would not become airborne before reaching the departure end of the lake, and he closed the engine throttle in an attempt to abort the takeoff. The airplane’s floats struck the shoreline, and the airplane came to rest on the shore, about 75 yards from the lake, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, and in his written report to the NTSB, he attributed the accident to “pilot error.”
Aircraft
- Registration
- N490K
- Reported as
- Dehavilland DHC-2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1268
- Airframe hours
- 14,722
- Engine
- P&W R-985 SERIES, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Katmai Air Leasing LLC
- Registered owner
- Katmai Air Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 9, 2009 · 43 hours before
- Departed
- King Salmon, AK
- Destination
- LHD · Anchorage, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- runway 09
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 15,980 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 225 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 39 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 9, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 775 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.