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A bellanca seaplane struck a boat with his wingtip on takeoff from a remote river in alaska.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 704743 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200607 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Champion Citabria 7ECA |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | ground : takeoff roll |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 91 flight time type : 17 |
| ASRS Report | 704743 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground critical ground encounters other non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I spent the day on a gravel bar on the river; which is remotely located with minimal boat traffic. For my departure; I taxied downstream to the lower end of a straight section of river which was approximately 1500 ft long before the next bend upriver. Before taxi and before starting my engine; I listened for boat traffic; which would normally be quite audible for several hundred yards up and down the river; and heard nothing. Winds were out of the east; which required an upstream takeoff toward the east. I was on 'step;' and had raised the right float to minimize my takeoff run; the right float being easier to lift out of the water due to engine torque. At that point; a boat came around the bend in the river ahead of me; with a speed of approximately 25-30 mph. There was no time to abort the takeoff; and we passed each other just as I was lifting off the water. Because he was close to the shoreline on his right; we each passed with the other craft on the left; for which there was no other choice. Our passing was close; since there were trees on my right and I couldn't move over any more. Unfortunately; due to my right float being lifted; my left wing was lower; and closer to the boat; but I heard no sound nor felt any contact; and believed that there was no harm to the plane or boat. I circled back over the boat and saw that everyone in the boat was ok; and returned to my home base. I didn't realize until I returned and upon postflt inspection that my left navigation light was missing and that I had evidently clipped the tall fiberglas marine antenna on the back of the boat. I confirmed this in a subsequent discussion with the boat owner. It was unfortunate that my takeoff run coincided with a boat coming around the bend of the river; even though minimum boat traffic was expected in this remote area. I am not sure what could have been done to reduce this risk; other than to not use the river at all; or minimize my choice of takeoff and landing areas on the river to include only those locations with longer straight line distances.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A BELLANCA SEAPLANE STRUCK A BOAT WITH HIS WINGTIP ON TKOF FROM A REMOTE RIVER IN ALASKA.
Narrative: I SPENT THE DAY ON A GRAVEL BAR ON THE RIVER; WHICH IS REMOTELY LOCATED WITH MINIMAL BOAT TFC. FOR MY DEP; I TAXIED DOWNSTREAM TO THE LOWER END OF A STRAIGHT SECTION OF RIVER WHICH WAS APPROX 1500 FT LONG BEFORE THE NEXT BEND UPRIVER. BEFORE TAXI AND BEFORE STARTING MY ENG; I LISTENED FOR BOAT TFC; WHICH WOULD NORMALLY BE QUITE AUDIBLE FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS UP AND DOWN THE RIVER; AND HEARD NOTHING. WINDS WERE OUT OF THE E; WHICH REQUIRED AN UPSTREAM TKOF TOWARD THE E. I WAS ON 'STEP;' AND HAD RAISED THE R FLOAT TO MINIMIZE MY TKOF RUN; THE R FLOAT BEING EASIER TO LIFT OUT OF THE WATER DUE TO ENG TORQUE. AT THAT POINT; A BOAT CAME AROUND THE BEND IN THE RIVER AHEAD OF ME; WITH A SPD OF APPROX 25-30 MPH. THERE WAS NO TIME TO ABORT THE TKOF; AND WE PASSED EACH OTHER JUST AS I WAS LIFTING OFF THE WATER. BECAUSE HE WAS CLOSE TO THE SHORELINE ON HIS R; WE EACH PASSED WITH THE OTHER CRAFT ON THE L; FOR WHICH THERE WAS NO OTHER CHOICE. OUR PASSING WAS CLOSE; SINCE THERE WERE TREES ON MY R AND I COULDN'T MOVE OVER ANY MORE. UNFORTUNATELY; DUE TO MY R FLOAT BEING LIFTED; MY L WING WAS LOWER; AND CLOSER TO THE BOAT; BUT I HEARD NO SOUND NOR FELT ANY CONTACT; AND BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS NO HARM TO THE PLANE OR BOAT. I CIRCLED BACK OVER THE BOAT AND SAW THAT EVERYONE IN THE BOAT WAS OK; AND RETURNED TO MY HOME BASE. I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL I RETURNED AND UPON POSTFLT INSPECTION THAT MY L NAV LIGHT WAS MISSING AND THAT I HAD EVIDENTLY CLIPPED THE TALL FIBERGLAS MARINE ANTENNA ON THE BACK OF THE BOAT. I CONFIRMED THIS IN A SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION WITH THE BOAT OWNER. IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT MY TKOF RUN COINCIDED WITH A BOAT COMING AROUND THE BEND OF THE RIVER; EVEN THOUGH MINIMUM BOAT TFC WAS EXPECTED IN THIS REMOTE AREA. I AM NOT SURE WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO REDUCE THIS RISK; OTHER THAN TO NOT USE THE RIVER AT ALL; OR MINIMIZE MY CHOICE OF TKOF AND LNDG AREAS ON THE RIVER TO INCLUDE ONLY THOSE LOCATIONS WITH LONGER STRAIGHT LINE DISTANCES.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.