No fatalities

5 Feb 2008: de Havilland DHC-2 — Rust's Flying Service Inc. — McGrath, AK

McGrath, AK, United States

On 5 Feb 2008, a de Havilland DHC-2 operated by Rust's Flying Service Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near McGrath, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during an aborted takeoff. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A commercial pilot aborted takeoff on a remote snow-covered airstrip due to soft snow. The airplane drifted right, striking a tree with the right wing. Minor scuffing was noted, but inspection later revealed denting and a tear.

Incident Details

A commercial certificated pilot was conducting a cross-country positioning flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, in a wheel-ski equipped airplane. The departure was from a remote, snow-covered airstrip. During the takeoff run, the pilot reported aborting the takeoff because of soft snow conditions. As the airplane slowed, it drifted to the right, and the right wing struck a tree. From the cockpit, the pilot observed what appeared to be minor scuffing on the right wingtip. Subsequently, the pilot departed the airstrip in the opposite direction and flew to the destination, where a normal landing was made.

Aircraft Examination

Following the flight, maintenance personnel inspected the airplane. The inspection revealed denting of the leading edge of the right wing, denting along the underside of the right wing, and a tear in the underside of the right wing aileron. No other damage was reported, and no injuries were noted in the source.

Contributing factors

Causes

Directional control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome