Accident Overview
On September 15, 2010, about 1840 Alaska daylight time, two float-equipped Piper PA-18 airplanes, N9699P and N2FD, collided midair during takeoff-initial climb from a floatplane lake located about 3 miles west of Dillingham, Alaska. Both aircraft were being operated by their pilots as visual flight rules (VFR) personal local flights under 14 CFR Part 91. The solo commercial pilot of N9699P sustained serious injuries, and the solo private pilot of N2FD sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plans were filed.
Pilot of N9699P Account
During a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge on September 24, the pilot of N9699P stated he and the pilot of N2FD were friends and were both departing for the same destination. He reported that during preflight inspection he found the master switch on and the battery dead. He hand-propped the airplane and taxied on the lake to warm up the engine. When he applied power for takeoff, the other airplane was to his left and behind him. Due to the dead battery, he could not use the airplane's radio, and the alternator had not started charging. His intent was to climb straight out to the south from the lake, then turn east toward their destination. As the airplane climbed toward the lake's edge, he saw something flash by and heard a loud noise. He lost control, and the airplane impacted the ground next to the lake. Substantial damage occurred to both wings and the fuselage.
Pilot of N2FD Account
In a telephone conversation with the NTSB IIC on October 1, the pilot of N2FD said he had arranged to meet the pilot of N9699P at another location after departing their mutual home lake. He started his airplane and was taxiing on the lake. He contacted a nearby FAA flight service station via radio, who advised of helicopter traffic in the area. He did not hear N9699P on the radio. The last time he saw N9699P, it was on the lake to his right, and he believed it was taxiing to warm up. He applied takeoff power, believing he was the first to leave, and was unaware that N9699P was also taking off. He heard a loud bang and thought something had broken on his airplane, causing loss of control and crash. He did not know he had collided with another airplane until he exited the wreckage on the ground. Substantial damage occurred to both wings and the fuselage.
Witness Account
On September 30, the IIC contacted a witness via telephone. The witness, who was in a residence adjacent to the lake, heard two airplanes power up one right after the other, which he considered unusual. He looked outside and saw both airplanes start to take off from different areas on the same side of the lake, headed in the same direction. He was familiar with both airplanes and pilots but did not know which powered up first. Both lifted off and started to climb. N9699P was to the right of N2FD and appeared to be in a slight left bank. About 50-70 feet above the water, N9699P appeared to come up underneath N2FD's right wing. The witness saw the airplanes collide and tumble to the shore of the lake.