- Date
- July 26, 2014, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ketchikan, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N400HUAviat A 1
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20140726015499A
- Case key
- 89825
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 decision to takeoff from a remote mountain lake in variable wind. Contributing to the accident was the pilots delayed decision to abort the takeoff.
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 was departing from a remote mountain lake in an amphibious float-equipped airplane. Prior to departure he observed the wind out of the east, and began his takeoff run in an easterly direction. He stated that the airplane was slow to accelerate and unstable once on the step. He closed the throttle and aborted the takeoff, the airplane immediately yawed to the right, he applied left rudder and deployed the water rudders in an effort to correct for the yaw, but the right wing impacted a tree and swung the airplane into the shoreline. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right lift strut. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. While awaiting rescue, the pilot noted that the wind reversed direction about the center of the lake, and he may have encountered a tailwind during the takeoff run. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been avoided if he had made the decision to abort the takeoff sooner.
Factual narrative
The pilot was departing from a remote mountain lake in an amphibious float-equipped airplane. Prior to departure he observed the wind out of the east, and began his takeoff run in an easterly direction. He stated that the airplane was slow to accelerate and unstable once on the step. He closed the throttle and aborted the takeoff, the airplane immediately yawed to the right, he applied left rudder and deployed the water rudders in an effort to correct for the yaw, but the right wing impacted a tree and swung the airplane into the shoreline. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right lift strut. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. While awaiting rescue, the pilot noted that the wind reversed direction about the center of the lake, and he may have encountered a tailwind during the takeoff run. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been avoided if he had made the decision to abort the takeoff sooner.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N400HU
- Reported as
- Aviat A 1 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1346
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 1,200
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wild Bills Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Wild Bills Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 2014
- Departed
- Ketchikan, AK
- Destination
- Ketchikan, AK
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 20, 2014
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,180 total · 350 in this make and model · 2,740 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- PAKT, 39 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 7, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 391 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.