Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cordova, Alaska 99574
Wednesday, January 18, 2006 13:45 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The commercial certificated pilot was departing from a snow-covered airstrip on a Title 14 CFR Part 135 flight in a tundra tire/tricycle gear-equipped airplane. The airstrip was about 1,700 feet long, and while waiting for his client, the pilot said that 3 to 4 inches of snow fell in the area. Before departure, he removed snow from the wings, calculated a go/no-go position on the airstrip for liftoff, and began the takeoff. During the takeoff roll, the pilot said the airplane would not lift off the snow-covered surface, and he decided to abort the takeoff slightly beyond his predetermined go/no-go mark. The airplane departed off the left side of the airstrip, and collided with brush and an embankment. The airplane received damage to the propeller, engine cowling, and the right wing. In the optional portion of the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) submitted by the pilot, the pilot wrote that his safety recommendation to prevent the accident was to "taxi back and forth on the runway to allow plane to accelerate faster."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff, and his delay in aborting the takeoff, which resulted an overrun and subsequent collision with an embankment. A factor contributing to the accident was the snow-covered airstrip.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/18/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1345 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | Cordova |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99574 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 600659N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1431545W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| 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 | 1500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 70 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19796 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Pilot |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 19 2006 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-ANC FSDO 03 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5371U |
| NTSB Number | ANC06LA017 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | TU206G |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | U20605252 |
| 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 | Continuous Airworthiness |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 8339 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Ben Hancock |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Cordova |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99754 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Copper River Air Taxi |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. Box 1475 |
| Operator City | Cordova |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99574 |
| Operator Code | L99A |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Cordova |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1345 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PACV |
| Destination City | Cordova |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - aborted |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 5 2006 5:38PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |