- Date
- August 10, 1995, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cordova, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N758PXCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 6, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19950810023949A
- Case key
- 2713
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 improper planning/decision and delayed decision to abort the takeoff.
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 of a float plane started to take off from a lake. During the takeoff run, he elected to aborted the takeoff, since there was not sufficient lake area remaining to take off. However, before the airplane could be stopped, it collided with the shoreline and trees.
Factual narrative
On August 10, 1995, at 1400 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped Cessna 172, N758PX, registered to and operated by Alaska Northern Adventures, crashed into the shoreline of Hangitia Lake, located 85 miles northeast of Cordova, Alaska, after an aborted takeoff. The business flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, was departing Hangitia Lake and the destination was Cordova. A company flight plan was in effect. The commercial certificated pilot and the two passengers were not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged.
According to the operator, Alaska Northern Adventures, the pilot aborted the takeoff because "the pilot ran out of lake." The airplane struck the shore of the lake and then struck some trees.
An NTSB Form 6120.1/2 was sent to the operator on August 17, 1995, a second form was sent on September 20, 1995. Telephonic messages left with the operator on December 12, 1995, and January 12, 1996, went unanswered.
According to Federal Aviation Administration Medical records, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the pilot had a total flight time of 3700 hours and 25 hours within the preceding six months of the medical certificate application date of April 17, 1995.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N758PX
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R1723262
- Engine
- Continental IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tom Prijatel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- CDV · AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,700 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Temperature
- 55 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.