Dehavilland DHC-2 / U-6A N5342G accident near Kenai, Alaska

Probable cause

The flight instructor’s decision to attempt a touch-and-go landing toward rising terrain and with a tailwind, resulting in an in-flight collision with terrain during takeoff.

NTSB analysis

The certificated flight instructor was familiarizing the second pilot with ski operations in a ski-equipped airplane during an instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that he took the flight controls from the second pilot to demonstrate a touch-and-go landing on a frozen, snow-covered lake. After landing to the east, the instructor said that he kept the tail of the airplane up and the airspeed just below flying speed in order to make ski tracks on the lake to check the snow conditions. About midway along the lake the instructor added full engine power and the airplane became airborne but failed to climb sufficiently to avoid colliding with an area of rising, tree-covered terrain at the departure end of the lake. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. Postaccident examination revealed no preaccident mechanical anomalies. The instructor noted that after the accident he noticed occasional strong gusts of wind from the west.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC09LA022 for the full record.