On September 6, 1985, a Cessna C-172P (registration N65798) operated by Village Aviation was involved in an aviation accident near Scammon Bay, AK. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff and landing, which resulted in a nose-over after landing in a swampy lake due to a gust of wind. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A pilot elected to take off from a taxiway at Scammon Bay, Alaska, due to wind alignment. After experiencing mushy controls, the pilot attempted an emergency landing on a nearby road but was forced into a swampy lake by a gust of wind, resulting in a nose-over.
What happened
The pilot elected to take off from the taxiway at Scammon Bay, Alaska, because the runway alignment matched the wind direction. After taking off and accelerating to climb airspeed, the airplane's controls felt mushy. The pilot then decided to land on a nearby road or taxiway. Prior to touchdown, a gust of wind forced the pilot to land in a swampy lake, causing the airplane to nose over. There is no weather reporting facility located at Scammon Bay, Alaska.
Findings
The pilot's decision to take off from the taxiway due to wind alignment.
The airplane's controls felt mushy after takeoff and accelerating to climb airspeed.
A gust of wind forced the pilot to land in a swampy lake prior to touchdown.
The airplane nosed over upon landing in the lake.
No weather reporting facility was located at Scammon Bay, Alaska.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff and landing, which resulted in a nose-over after landing in a swampy lake due to a gust of wind.