WASILLA, AK, USA
N5045X
SPORTSMAN 2+2
The pilot reported he was taking off from a private lake in his float-equipped amateur-built experimental airplane. Shortly after lift-off, he saw another airplane departing a private airstrip near the opposing shoreline. The pilot said a collision was not imminent, but he elected to skid the airplane to the left to provide better separation. He said he was unable to recover from the skid, and the airplane quit flying, subsequently colliding with trees near the shore.
On August 3, 1996, about 0945 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped Sportsman 2+2 amateur built experimental airplane, N5045X, sustained substantial damage when it collided with trees shortly after takeoff from a private airstrip near Wasilla, Alaska. The solo airline transport certificated pilot was not injured. The local, 14 CFR Part 91 flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. During a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge on August 4, the pilot said that soon after liftoff from Shaw's Tri Lakes, he saw a wheel equipped airplane taking off from the adjacent airstrip. He said that collision with the other airplane wasn't an issue, but that he elected to skid the airplane to the left to add greater separation. He said after he kicked the airplane to the left, it quit flying and stalled into the trees.
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush. A factor associated with the accident was the pilot's low altitude skidding maneuver.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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