Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ketchikan, Alaska 99901
Saturday, July 26, 2014 12:30 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was departing from a remote mountain lake in an amphibious float-equipped airplane. Prior to departure he observed the wind out of the east, and began his takeoff run in an easterly direction. He stated that the airplane was slow to accelerate and unstable once on the step. He closed the throttle and aborted the takeoff, the airplane immediately yawed to the right, he applied left rudder and deployed the water rudders in an effort to correct for the yaw, but the right wing impacted a tree and swung the airplane into the shoreline. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right lift strut. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
While awaiting rescue, the pilot noted that the wind reversed direction about the center of the lake, and he may have encountered a tailwind during the takeoff run.
In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been avoided if he had made the decision to abort the takeoff sooner.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's decision to takeoff from a remote mountain lake in variable wind. Contributing to the accident was the pilots delayed decision to abort the takeoff.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/26/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1230 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Ketchikan |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99901 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 553000N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1303748W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| 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 | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1235 AKD |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 256 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PAKT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 39 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AKD |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 3 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 140 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 16 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.03 |
| 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) | 33243 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Alaskan Regional Operation |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 6 2014 5:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N400HU |
| NTSB Number | ANC14CA061 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC |
| Aircraft Model | A 1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | UNDESIGNAT |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1346 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 15 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1200 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILD BILLS AVIATION INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | TUSTIN |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 927804924 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | WILD BILLS AVIATION INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | TUSTIN |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 927804924 |
| 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 | -- |
| Departure City | Ketchikan |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1145 |
| Departure Time Zone | AKD |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Ketchikan |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 6 2014 5:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |