Aviat A 1 N400HU

Summary

On 26 July 2014 at about 20:30 local time, a Aviat A 1 registered N400HU, operated by Wild Bills Aviation Inc, was involved in an accident near Ketchikan, Alaska, United States. 2 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

26 July 2014 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Ketchikan, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

55.5000, -130.6300

Aircraft

Aviat A 1

Registration

N400HU

Category

Airplane

Year built

1997

Engines

1

Operator

Wild Bills Aviation Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ketchikan → Ketchikan

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC14CA061

Nobody was injured.

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.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.