- Date
- August 11, 1995, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1270Guevremont Pitts Special S1C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 6, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19950811023139A
- Case key
- 2715
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 excessive application of rudder control, as he yawed the airplane to see ahead during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a loss of directional control and a subsequent ground swerve. Factors related to the accident were: the animal (moose) and high vegetation (bushes) near the runway.
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 stated that as he was back taxiing for takeoff on the runway, he noticed a moose standing adjacent to the runway. He aligned the airplane for takeoff. When the airplane reached an approximate speed of 25 mph during the takeoff roll, the pilot 'swerved' the airplane to see the moose around the nose of the airplane. He said the airplane responded very quickly, and before he knew what happened, it went off the runway into alder bushes and nosed over.
Factual narrative
On August 11, 1995, at 1300 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Pitts, PTS1C airplane, N1270, registered to and operated by the pilot, veered off the runway and nosed over during the takeoff roll at Talkeetna, Alaska. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, was departing Talkeetna and the destination was Birchwood, Alaska. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The commercial certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged.
During a telephone conversation with the pilot on August 14, 1995, he stated that as he was back taxiing for takeoff on the runway, he saw a moose standing in the alder bushes adjacent to the runway. He aligned the airplane for takeoff and applied power. When the airplane reached an approximate speed of 25 miles per hour, he "swerved" the airplane so he could see the moose around the nose of the airplane. He stated the airplane responded quickly and before he knew it, he was off the side of the runway and the airplane nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1270
- Reported as
- Guevremont Pitts Special S1C (PITTS SPEC)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 6766
- Airframe hours
- 470
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-C1A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dale E. Kenny
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 1994 · 17 hours before
- Destination
- Z15 · Birchwood, AK
- Airport
- TKA · Talkeetna, runway 18, 3,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,100 total · 30 in this make and model · 1,100 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TKA, 1 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.