Aviat A-1A accident near Sitka, Alaska, August 7, 2003
On August 7, 2003 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Aviat A-1A, registered N113N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sitka, Alaska. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delay in aborting the takeoff, which resulted in a collision with the shoreline during an aborted takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2003 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sitka, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat A-1A
- Registration
- N113N · registry record · serial 1422
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a telephone interview 4 days after the accident, the commercial certificated pilot reported that he was attempting to takeoff from a small, remote lake in his float-equipped airplane. During the takeoff run in calm wind conditions, he determined that the airplane would not become airborne prior to reaching the shoreline. He elected to abort the takeoff, but could not stop the airplane prior to colliding with the shoreline. In a written statement dated 7 days after the accident, the pilot wrote, "I performed a step turn and didn't like the way it felt so I cut the power and skidded up on a rocky beach." The airplane received structural damage to the lower right fuselage longeron adjacent to the right rear float attachment fitting, and the left outboard wing rib. Three months after the accident, the pilot telephoned the NTSB investigator-in-charge and indicated that he had placed the airplane in a tight step-turn during the takeoff attempt, and it was during the step-turn that he heard a loud "pop" and felt the airplane shudder. He said he immediately reduced the engine power to idle, and due to the airplane being in a tight turn at the time, he lost directional control and the airplane collided with the shore. The pilot said it was possible that the right rear float attachment fitting, or possibly the "flying wire" cable from the right float to the fuselage had separated preimpact, and that was the noise he heard.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Crew member
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 999 hours in all; 431 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 827 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 29, 2002
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 493 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 25, 2002; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,079 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Textron Lycoming O-360-A1P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Sitka AK
- Destination: A29 Sitka AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC03LA104.