Cessna 206 N4991F

Summary

On 2 September 2005 at about 01:00 local time, a Cessna 206 registered N4991F was involved in an accident near Yakutat, Alaska, United States. 5 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 September 2005 at 01:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Yakutat, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

East Alsek River (AK76)

Coordinates

59.1261, -138.4070

Aircraft

Cessna 206

Registration

N4991F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Yakutat → Yakutat

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC05LA133

Nobody was injured.

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.