- Date
- July 29, 1995, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Port Alsworth, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5371UCessna 206G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19950729020189A
- Case key
- 2700
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 inadequate compensation for the crosswind condition, which resulted in a failure to maintain runway alignment. The crosswind and proximity of trees were related factors.
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 flight was taking off from a gravel runway. The pilot stated there was a slight crosswind from the right. As the airplane lifted off it began to drift left. The pilot corrected with a right bank, but the left wing and left main gear struck the trees. The airplane veered to the left and came to rest in the trees adjacent to the runway.
Factual narrative
On July 29, 1995, at 1500 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 206G airplane, N5371U, operated by the pilot, drifted left of runway centerline during takeoff and crashed into trees on the left side of the runway at Port Alsworth, Alaska. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, was departing Port Alsworth on a VFR flight plan and the destination was Anchorage, Alaska. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The commercial certificated pilot and the two passengers were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged.
During a telephone conversation with the pilot on July 31, 1995, he stated that there was a slight crosswind from the right. As he lifted off the airplane began to drift left. He banked the airplane to the right to correct the drift but the left wing and left main gear struck the trees adjacent to the runway. The airplane veered left and came to rest in the trees next to the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5371U
- Reported as
- Cessna 206G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- U20605252
- Airframe hours
- 2,327
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-M, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William M Meaney
- Registered owner
- James L. Crowder
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 11, 1994 · 30 hours before
- Destination
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- Port Alsworth, runway 23, 3,000 × 75 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
- 47
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,280 total · 235 in this make and model · 1,223 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft overcast
- 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.
Other investigations on N5371U · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.