- Date
- March 15, 2009, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bagley, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1831EAeronca 7AC
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090315011199A
- Case key
- 73495
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 delayed aborted takeoff, which resulted in the ski-equipped airplane running aground and striking trees. Contributing to the accident was the slush layer that had formed since the previous landing.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot landed the ski-equipped airplane on the snow-covered frozen lake earlier in the day. After several hours of ice fishing, he taxied the airplane to the east side of the lake for departure. The lake's longest axis (east/west) was approximately 2,000 feet long. The pilot reported that the lake's orientation, terrain gradient, shoreline trees, and prevailing winds favored a departure to the west. During the takeoff run, the airplane accelerated slower than normal due to a slush layer that had formed since the previous landing. The pilot reported that the tail became airborne about halfway across the lake, but he aborted the takeoff when the airplane had not attained flying airspeed after crossing 3/4 of the lake. The airplane was unable to stop before running aground and impacting several trees, substantially damaging the fuselage and both wings.
Factual narrative
The pilot landed the ski-equipped airplane on the snow-covered frozen lake earlier in the day. After several hours of ice fishing, he taxied the airplane to the east side of the lake for departure. The lake's longest axis (east/west) was approximately 2,000 feet long. The pilot reported that the lake's orientation, terrain gradient, shoreline trees, and prevailing winds favored a departure to the west. During the takeoff run, the airplane accelerated slower than normal due to a slush layer that had formed since the previous landing. The pilot reported that the tail became airborne about halfway across the lake, but he aborted the takeoff when the airplane had not attained flying airspeed after crossing 3/4 of the lake. The airplane was unable to stop before running aground and impacting several trees, substantially damaging the fuselage and both wings.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1831E
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC5399
- Airframe hours
- 2,372
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental Motors O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 16, 2008
- Departed
- Bagley, MN
- Destination
- 96M · Bemidji, MN
- Airport
- Jackson Lake, runway 27, snow
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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 16, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 616 total · 573 in this make and model · 564 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 18 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KFSE, 17 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.