What happened
During a local training flight departing from McMurdo Sound-Williams Field, an aircraft experienced a mechanical failure immediately following takeoff. As the plane began its ascent, a cable used for the ski rigging was not correctly installed. This improper rigging caused one of the ski cables to slip, leading the front portion of a ski to bury itself into the snow surface.
The resulting impact with the ground caused significant structural damage to the aircraft. While the incident resulted in no injuries to those on board, the damage sustained during the event was severe enough that the plane was declared a total loss and rendered beyond repair.
Findings
- The primary factor in the accident was an improperly rigged ski cable.
- The failure of the rigging caused the front of one ski to dig into the snow, destabilizing the aircraft during the initial climb phase.