Accident Overview
On September 18, 2009, at approximately 1400 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Piper PA-18 airplane, registration N1169A, sustained substantial damage when it collided with trees and brush after takeoff from a remote airstrip located about 12 miles south of Nabesna, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) other work use flight in support of the operator’s hunting guide business under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The commercial pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company flight following procedures were in effect. At the time of the accident, the flight was returning to the operator's remote lodge near Nabesna with a hunting client aboard.
Pilot Account
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on the day of the accident, the pilot reported that before departing from the 800-foot-long, rough and uneven airstrip, he assessed his passenger's weight along with the wind conditions before electing to depart to the south. He characterized the winds as light and variable, but from a southerly direction. Just after takeoff, as the airplane climbed to about 10 feet above the ground, the pilot realized that the wind was now out of the north, and the airplane stopped climbing as it neared the departure end of the airstrip. The airplane then collided with a stand of trees and brush, coming to rest about 75 feet from the departure end of the airstrip. The collision resulted in substantial damage to the wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Damage and Aftermath
The airplane sustained substantial damage to its wings and empennage due to impact with trees and brush. No injuries were reported among the two occupants. The accident site was located approximately 75 feet from the departure end of the airstrip.