NTSB Factual Report

On September 3, 2010, about 1830 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 207A airplane sustained substantial damage during a collision with trees while taking off at the Tuluksak Airport, Tuluksak, Alaska. The airplane was operated by Grant Aviation Inc., Anchorage, Alaska, as a visual flight rules on-demand passenger flight under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 135, when the accident occurred. The airline transport pilot received serious injuries, and the two passengers received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company flight following procedures were in effect.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on September 4, the director of operations for the operator said it appeared that soft field conditions and standing water on the runway prevented the airplane from accelerating fast enough to lift off in time to clear trees at the end of the runway. He said the airplane came to rest off the end of the runway in the trees, and sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.

In a written statement to the NTSB dated September 10, the pilot wrote that he did not apply full power at the beginning of the takeoff roll in order to avoid hitting standing water on the runway at full power. He said he applied full power after passing the puddles, but the airplane did not accelerate as he thought it would. He said he recalled the nose of the airplane being in a nose-high attitude, and the main wheels bouncing several times before the airplane impacted trees at the end of the runway.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's delayed application of full power during a soft/wet field takeoff, resulting in a collision with trees during takeoff.