Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Talkeetna, Alaska 99676
Sunday, July 28, 1996 14:30 AKD

The takeoff area was on a mountain glacier at 5,700 feet mean sea level, and was about 2,500 feet long and sloped downhill. The snow condition was wet and dense. The pilot reported that the engine was producing full power during the downslope takeoff. When the pilot began to lift off, the engine momentarily lost power and surged about 3 times from full power to almost no power. The pilot turned on the fuel boost pump, but full power was not restored. The airplane settled onto snow covered terrain and then collided with the edge of a crevasse. A national park ranger reported that the ski tracks produced by the accident airplane extended approximately 4,000 feet along the surface of the snow before leaving the surface at the edge of a crevasse. About 50 yards beyond the crevasse, additional ski tracks were noted skipping on the snow surface until the point of rest at the accident crevasse. An FAA inspector conducted an examination of the accident airplane's engine and fuel system. He reported that the engine ran normally with no observed discrepancies.

The pilot's inadequate preflight planning for departure and his selection of unsuitable terrain. Factors in the accident were soft, snow covered terrain and the pilot's delay in aborting the takeoff.