- Date
- August 5, 1994, 16:45 local (Aug 6, 1994, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- King Salmon, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5120XCessna 206
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 16, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19940805020399A
- Case key
- 2536
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 use the available longer portion of the lake for the takeoff run.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot, conducting fish guiding operations under 14 CFR part 91, attempted to takeoff across the short part of the lake into an 8 knot headwind. The airplane became airborne but settled back onto the water beyond the point of no return. The floats struck the shoreline and they separated from the airplane. The airplane nosed over onto the bank.
Factual narrative
On August 5, 1994, at 1645 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped Cessna 206 airplane, N5120X, registered to and operated by John (Jack) Holman of No See Um Lodge, King Salmon, Alaska, and piloted by Mark Kniprath of Sterling, Alaska, struck the shoreline of Crosswind Lake, located 60 miles northeast of King Salmon, during the takeoff run. The business flight, conducting fish guiding operations under 14 CFR Part 91, was departing the Lake and the destination was the Lodge located on the Kvichak River. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The Commercial Certificated Pilot and the three passengers were not injured. The airplane received substantial damage.
According to the pilot, he was taking off to the southeast into an estimated 8 knot head wind. The takeoff direction was across the short part of the lake. The airplane became airborne and then settled back onto the water after it passed the point of no return. The airplane struck the shoreline, ripped the floats off and nosed over onto the bank.
The owner was sent an NTSB Form 6120.1/2 and he returned it with a note stating the pilot could not complete it because he was out of town. The owner did not provide any airplane information on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5120X
- Reported as
- Cessna 206
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- U20605572
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-F, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- No See Um Lodge
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- Kvichak River, 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
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- 64 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.