- Date
- July 20, 2024, 07:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Pedro Bay, AK
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N65223Dehavilland Beaver U-6A
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA ANC FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240720008549A
- Case key
- 194727
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 directional control of the airplane during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was sun glare.
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, during takeoff in a float-equipped airplane, he was on step and maneuvered the airplane around a bend in the river, facing into the sun. The pilot reported that he was unable to see due to the glare of the sun. The airplane drifted to the left and the left wingtip caught bushes on the left bank of the river, pulling the airplane up onto shore which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65223
- Reported as
- Dehavilland Beaver U-6A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 55-4602
- Built
- 1955
- Airframe hours
- 10,927.4
- Engine
- Pratt and Whitney R-985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Rainbow River Lodge Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Rainbow River Lodge Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 15, 2024 · 4.3 hours before
- Destination
- Kokhanok, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 27, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,617 total · 415 in this make and model · 3,460 as pilot in command · 115 in the last 90 days · 85 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- PAIL, 30 nm away
- METAR
- PAIL 201453Z 32003KT 10SM CLR 11/08 A3019 RMK AO2 SLP224 T01060078 53004 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 8, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 MB 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 N65223 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.