SEA98LA157

The pilot-in-command reported that 'I had tried to take off with no flaps, thinking I had them down.' The aircraft never became fully airborne, passed through a perimeter fence and then collided with sagebrush during which the nose landing gear collapsed. Post crash examination of the aircraft revealed the flaps in the retracted position. The density altitude at the 4,300 foot long, turf airstrip was 7,325 feet.

On August 7, 1998, approximately 0730 mountain daylight time, a Cessna U206F, N7494Q, registered to and being operated by Stanley Air Taxi, Inc., and being flown by a commercial pilot, incurred substantial damage when it departed runway 17, and the nose landing gear collapsed on takeoff at the Stanley airport, Stanley, Idaho. The pilot and all five passengers were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company VFR flight plan was in effect. The flight, which was an unscheduled passenger flight from Stanley to Indian Creek, Idaho, was to have been operated under 14CFR135.

The pilot reported that "On the take-off roll, I used the left side of the runway in the grass, since the middle had become rough from use. At about 2,000 feet down the runway, the plane hit a bump that put it into the air, but it settled back to the ground. I then applied elevator to lift it off. The plane hit another bump, lifted off the runway, the right wing dipped, I corrected, the plane again settled back onto the runway, and veered off the runway and through the east fence (at about 3,000 feet down the strip). The plane was on all 3 wheels for a short distance, until it hit a large sage brush and collapsed the nose gear. The plane then went nose down and stopped."

Additionally, he reported that "In my own mind, I had put the flaps down on the C206 for take-off. They were not down. I had tried to take off with no flaps, thinking I had them down. (I believe I was distracted.) The plane did not have the speed nor lift when I rotated it. Proper check list utilization would have prevented the accident."

On site examination of the aircraft at the site revealed that the flaps were in the retracted position (refer to photograph 1).

The elevation of the Stanley airport is 6,403 feet above mean sea level. Runway 17 is 4,300 foot long and composed of turf. The pilot estimated the temperature at the time of the accident as 55 degrees Fahrenheit and reported an altimeter setting of 30.20 inches mercury. The calculated density altitude based on this information was 7,325 feet.