Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
East Alsek River Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Yakutat, Alaska 99689
Thursday, September 1, 2005 17:00 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airline transport certificated pilot, with four passengers, fishing equipment, and a dog aboard, were departing on a personal flight from a remote gravel airstrip that was 1,100 feet long and 10 feet wide. The FAA's Airport/Facility Directory, Alaska Supplement listing for the airstrip includes "...dips and humps 8 to 12 inches entire length. Rocks on surface to 3 inches. Runway used as a road." The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) that during the takeoff roll, the airplane became airborne in ground effect, but the engine power rapidly decreased, and the airplane settled into about 12 inches of water in a tidal zone. The pilot indicated that the airplane had flown through heavy rain in the previous four days, but he had not encountered any problems until the accident takeoff. The airplane received structural damage to the right wingtip and right wing root. An FAA inspector interviewed the pilot and passengers, and reported that the pilot told him the airplane became airborne after hitting some bumps about 2/3 of the way down the runway. The pilot said he attempted to keep the airplane airborne in ground effect, but it settled to the soft ground beyond the end of the runway in high grass and water. Based on his interviews, the inspector estimated that the airplane was within 100 pounds of its gross weight limit. The inspector indicated that air taxi operators in the local area only use the airstrip while carrying a reduced load due to the condition of the airstrip surface. Sufficient structural and propeller repairs were made to the airplane at the accident scene allowing it to be flown out by recovery personnel, and they did not report any engine problems.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff initial climb from a remote airstrip, which resulted in the airplane descending to the ground and colliding with soft terrain beyond the end of the airstrip. Factors contributing to the accident were the rough/uneven airstrip surface consisting of humps and rocks, and an inadvertent stall/mush.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/1/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1700 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Yakutat |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99689 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 590734N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1382425W |
| Event Location Airport | East Alsek River |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | AK76 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 20 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 5 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19788 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Regional Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 2 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 28 2006 1:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FAA-AL JNU FSDO 05 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4991F |
| NTSB Number | ANC05LA133 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 206 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | U2060691 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Christopher P. Chouinard |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Friday Harbor |
| Aircraft Owner State | WA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 98250 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | AK76 |
| Departure City | Yakutat |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1700 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | A69 |
| Destination City | Yakutat |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 5 2006 4:39PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 20 |
| Runway Length | 1100 |
| Runway Width | 10 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |