Accident Overview
On September 3, 2010, at approximately 1830 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 207A airplane sustained substantial damage after colliding with trees while taking off from Tuluksak Airport in Tuluksak, Alaska. The aircraft was operated by Grant Aviation Inc., of Anchorage, Alaska, and was conducting an on-demand passenger flight under visual flight rules in accordance with Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and company flight following procedures were in effect.
Injuries and Damage
The airline transport pilot received serious injuries, while the two passengers aboard incurred minor injuries. The airplane came to rest off the end of the runway among trees, where it sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.
Operator and Pilot Statements
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on September 4, the operator's director of operations reported that soft field conditions and standing water on the runway appeared to have prevented the airplane from accelerating sufficiently to lift off and clear trees at the runway's end.
In a written statement to the NTSB dated September 10, the pilot explained that he did not apply full power at the start of the takeoff roll to avoid hitting standing water at full power. He stated that after passing the puddles, he applied full power, but the airplane did not accelerate as expected. The pilot recalled the nose being in a nose-high attitude and the main wheels bouncing several times before the airplane impacted trees at the end of the runway.