Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary ANC98LA042

ANCHOR POINT, AK, USA

Aircraft #1

N8969V

Cessna 172M

Analysis

The pilot and three passengers were departing from a sand/gravel beach. The wind was blowing from the south about 7 to 10 knots. The pilot began the accident flight take off toward the west, utilizing a short field takeoff technique. Just after lift off, the airplane encountered a crosswind from the left. The airplane veered to the right, toward a small bluff and the right main landing gear struck a shoreline embankment shearing off the right main landing gear. The airplane came to rest in a small pool of water.

Factual Information

On April 26, 1998, about 1200 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 172M airplane, N8969V, sustained substantial damage during a collision with terrain while taking off from a beach area, about 34 miles west of Anchor Point, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The certificated private pilot, and three passengers, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on April 26, 1998, at 2125, the pilot reported he rented the airplane from Bush Air Ventures Inc., Anchorage, Alaska. The pilot said he was departing a beach at Clam Cove, located in the Lake Clark National Park. The wind was blowing from the south about 7 to 10 knots. The pilot began the accident flight take off toward the west, utilizing a short field takeoff technique. Just after lift off, the airplane encountered a crosswind and veered to the right, toward a small bluff. The right main landing gear struck the bluff, tearing off the gear. The airplane came to rest in a small pool of water. The pilot had accrued 70 hours of total flight experience, all of which was accrued in the accident airplane. The pilot received his private pilot certificate on April 25, 1998.

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot's failure to compensate for a crosswind. A related factor was the crosswind.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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