- Date
- July 6, 1995, 21:35 local (Jul 7, 1995, 05:35 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N257CStinson 108-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19950706022769A
- Case key
- 2683
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 loss of directional control, during the takeoff roll, which resulted in an inadvertent swerve, and the pilot's excessive application of brake pressure, which resulted in a nose down condition.
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 airplane veered to the left during the first attempt to take off. The pilot stated she attributed this to wind gusts from the west (left). During the second attempt to take off, the airplane veered to the left again and departed the left side of the runway, toward some parked aircraft. The pilot applied the brakes, and the airplane nosed down. The winds were reported to be from 310 degrees at 4 knots.
Factual narrative
On July 6, 1995, at 2135 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Stinson 108-2 airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, nosed down during an aborted takeoff from the Lake Hood Airstrip, Anchorage, Alaska. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, was departing the Lake Hood Airstrip for a local flight. A visual flight rules flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The private certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured and the airplane received substantial damage.
According to the pilot, as she started her takeoff roll on runway 31, the airplane veered to the left. She applied right rudder and stopped the airplane. She taxied back for a second takeoff on runway 31. During the second takeoff the airplane veered to the left again. She applied right rudder but also had to step on the brakes because the airplane was headed for some parked airplanes. The airplane nosed down as it came to a stop.
The pilot stated there were wind gusts blowing across runway 31 from the west (left) during the takeoff roll. The reported winds at the Lake Hood Airstrip were from 310 degrees at 4 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N257C
- Reported as
- Stinson 108-2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 108-3257
- Airframe hours
- 2,635
- Engine
- Franklin 6A4-165B3, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Metcalf, Susan K.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 18, 1994 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- Z41
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- Z41 · Lake Hood Airstrip, runway 31, 2,200 × 70 ft, gravel
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 122 total · 15 in this make and model · 55 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ANC, 2 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.