Juneau, AK, USA
N754KP
CESSNA 208B
The pilot reported that, during takeoff about the time that the airplane reached rotational speed, the airplane veered abruptly to the right. To correct the veer, she applied left rudder, but the control travel felt limited, and the airplane continued to the right. The pilot thought that there was not adequate distance for the airplane to safely stop, so she continued the takeoff and maneuvered the airplane toward the runway for an emergency landing. When the pilot determined that a safe landing could be made, she shut down the engine. During the emergency landing, the right main landing gear and nosewheel collapsed, and both wings sustained substantial damage. A postaccident examination revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The cause of the pilot’s loss of directional control on the runway could not be determined based on the available evidence for this investigation.
On October 22, 2021, about 0842 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 208B airplane, N754KP, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident at Juneau International Airport, Juneau, Alaska. The pilot and five passengers were not injured. The airplane was operated by Kalinin Aviation dba Alaska Seaplanes as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 scheduled passenger flight. The pilot reported that she completed a preflight inspection and taxied the airplane to the active runway for departure, making both left and right turns. She completed the before takeoff checklist, which included a flight control check. The airplane was cleared for takeoff on runway 8 from the taxiway C intersection. Once the airplane reached the runway, the pilot increased engine power, and the airplane began to accelerate down the centerline of the runway. About the time that the airplane reached rotational speed, the airplane veered “abruptly” to the right. To correct the veer, the pilot applied left rudder, but the control travel “felt limited,” and the airplane continued to the right toward a float pond that was parallel to the runway. The pilot thought that the distance to the float pond would not be adequate to safely stop, so she continued the takeoff and, once airborne, maneuvered the airplane toward the runway for an emergency landing. Once the pilot determined that a safe landing could be made, she pulled the manual firewall fuel shutoff valve and moved the master switch to the OFF position. During the emergency landing, the right main landing gear and nose wheel collapsed, and both wings sustained substantial damage. A passenger in the right front seat reported that his seat was moved aft and that his feet were on the floor near the control pedestal with his knees pointed toward the passenger door to preclude inadvertent interference with any flight control movements. A postaccident examination of the nosewheel steering and the brake and flight control systems revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
The pilot’s loss of directional control for reasons that could not be determined.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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