Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control. Factors associated with the accident are the wet and uneven airstrip surface.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot stated that this was the first time she had attempted to takeoff from the rough and uneven airstrip. She said she raised the nose of the airplane to perform a soft field takeoff, and the airplane began to drift to the left. She wrote in her report to the NTSB that she failed to add enough right rudder, and the airplane continued to the left, went off the airstrip, hit a ditch and nosed down.
Source record
Factual narrative
On June 9, 1995, about 2200 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 172 airplane, N13205, sustained substantial damage during an attempted takeoff from the Talachulitna Lodge airstrip, located approximately 10 miles south of Skwentna, Alaska. The private pilot and three passengers aboard reported no injuries. The personal flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The intended destination was Anchorage, Alaska. The pilot reported this was her first time attempting to takeoff from the Talachulitna Airstrip. She described the runway as a rough grass and gravel composite, that was wet near the edges. She was attempting a soft field takeoff with 10 degrees of flap. In her written report to the NTSB, she said she lifted the nose during the takeoff roll and felt the tail skid drag. She lowered the nose slightly, but the airplane began to drift to the left. She said that she didn't use enough right rudder, and the airplane continued to the left and encountered softer terrain. The airplane went off the edge of the airstrip, through some small trees and brush, and ultimately stopped nose down in a ditch alongside the airstrip. -