The Piper J-3 Cub pilot reported that, while taking off from a gravel bar near Woodburn, Oregon, he felt a bump as the airplane became airborne over the river.
The passenger reported that they hit something, however the pilot stated that he never saw anyone until he continued the climb and circled over the area, where he noticed a kayaker on the river.
He landed on a gravel bar near the kayaker, rendered first aid, and called for medical assistance.
The kayaker reported that, while on the Willamette River, she and her mother stopped and rested near the Lower Lamber Bar area, where they observed an airplane on one of the sand bars.
After resting, they continued traveling down the river. While paddling in the kayak, she turned towards the sand bar and observed the airplane approaching her.
Shortly after, the front tire of the airplane hit her head and overturned the kayak.
The kayaker sustained a serious broken leg. The airplane was not damaged.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance during takeoff from a person on the ground, who sustained a serious injury as a result of the collision.
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This August 2021 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.
James Brian Potter,
Using your logic, there is no way a person in a canoe, or any other watercraft can anticipate every accident situation. The watercraft operator should be ready and able to maneuver out of the way of an aircraft that they have no familiarity with, and are not expecting to come towards them???????? Who do you really think bears more responsibility? The boater, or the pilot who is under FAA jeopardy for careless and reckless operation???? Which mode of transportation will be in the bigger spotlight? GA takes the big hits in the media which puts us all in jeopardy of losing the freedom of flight. You may want to review what the term “pilot in command” really means.
She turned towards the sandbar and saw the plane approaching her.
Pretty sure she heard the plane first and could have easily altered her course…since she was indeed the more maneuverable vessel….apparently just ducking would have sufficed.
Was she or was she not using her noggin?
This is a mixed issue. The pilot was not operating a float plane. He took off from a gravel bar (which the kayak person called a sand bar). He may have never been able to see the kayak which was on the river. So from brake release to rotation was how far? At what point would that kayak have been in that pilot’s possible field of view? And then how do you stop an airplane on a dime when it is at rotation speed?
So why this fad of TOLs on gravel bars?
Unfortunately there are too many cases where boaters want to get a closer look at a seaplane and move into the aircraft’s area of operations, I know from personal experience. Boat wake can cause an extreme hazard for seaplanes. It behooves both boaters and pilots to exercise good judgement and safety precautions when operating in the same waters.
Wakes, caused by a Kayak (by motot boats, of course, but this news is about a kayak being hit by a reckless pilot)? You’re kidding me!
It wasn’t a seaplane.
This type of accident (small aircraft on takeoff or landing hits boater on open navigable water) is uncommon, and often deadly. I had about 400 hours and was beginning to read NTSB accident reports. The a fatal accident in the mid 1980’s caught my attention. I may even have read it in the GANews as I was a subscriber. A float equipped cub was practicing T & G on the Willamette River south of Salem, OR. On his last takeoff of the day the pilot felt a “thump”. He circled back over the river and saw a keel up canoe. He immediately called a nearby tower and reported the accident. Unfortunately, both occupants, the parents of two small children, did not survive the collision. Since then I’ve read of other accidents where a small, low to the water boat was struck by landing or departing aircraft flying very low in or over the water. All of these accidents I read about were on waters that have a lot of small water craft. IMHO, aircraft operations on these heavily used waters places ALL of the responsibility on the pilot for 100% safe landing and takeoff operations. A small boat or paddle board powered by paddles or oars has essentially zero ability to escape a likely serious collision if an aircraft is flying or even water taxiing toward them. Caveat Aviator… Safety of others is entirely on your shoulders.
Completely agree with You, Mr. John T.
Well… I don’t agree. No person — no matter how situationally aware and alert — can anticipate and functionally avoid all accident situations. Perfect example of on-road vehicle traffic is the case where a buck in rut springs out of the brush right in front of you and you hit it, killing the poor animal and wrecking your car. No way in Hades can you anticipate such an encounter. It also appalls me that small craft boaters, hikers and other curious onlookers get so close to known corridors of aircraft traffic. I don’t think the pilots in either story bore responsibility for those accidents. A large family in a small paddle-powered boat had no sensible business whatever in the vicinity of air traffic. The stupid factor killed them. One man’s opinion, worth what you paid for it. Regards/J