The pilot was taking off in his tundra tire-equipped Piper PA-18 on a private, ice-covered, gravel runway in Talkeetna, Alaska.
During the takeoff roll, ruts in the ground caused him to lose control of the airplane.
The airplane struck a snow berm and sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage.
The pilot said there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff from an icy surface in gusty wind conditions.
NTSB Identification: ANC15CA014
This March 2015 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
The problem was also the pilot’s failure to assess the runway condition of the ice covered, private runway BEFORE pushing the throttle forward. It’s a good example of an inadequate pre-flight resulting in poor decision making, and failure by the pilot to recognize a serious “no-go” factor.