Event SEA97LA183

Factual narrative

On August 8, 1997, at 1115 mountain daylight time, the pilot of a Cessna 150M, N704AA, operated by Mountain Home Aviation, as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, collided with a barbed wire fence during takeoff from the Stanley Airport, Stanley, Idaho. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was departing for Mountain Home, Idaho. The pilot reported in a written statement that he had visually checked the wind direction and speed. During the preflight check, the pilot noted that the temperature was 75 degrees and he checked the Cessna Pilots Operating Handbook Performance Section for the takeoff distance. The pilot calculated that for the pressure altitude, temperature, runway condition and wind speed, that it would take approximately 3,036 feet of ground roll to clear a 50 foot obstacle. The airport length at Stanley is 4,300 feet. The pilot stated that just prior to commencing the takeoff ground roll, he reviewed the soft field takeoff procedures and elected to use the soft field technique for takeoff because of the rough runway condition. The pilot stated that when he rotated the airplane for liftoff, the airplane failed to continue to gain altitude and settled back to the runway. The pilot reported that this occurred twice. The pilot stated that as he was attempting to maintain control of the airplane, it was blown off the runway to the east and subsequently collided with a barbed wire fence. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that prior to takeoff he checked the takeoff performance chart and determined that for the temperature, altitude, runway condition, and wind speed, he had enough runway to clear a 50-foot obstacle. The pilot stated that prior to commencing the takeoff roll, he decided to use a soft field technique because of the rough runway condition. When he rotated the airplane for lift-off, the airplane would not gain altitude, and it settled back to the runway. The pilot reported that this occurred twice. As the pilot was attempting to maintain control of the airplane, it was blown off the runway and subsequently collided with a barbed wire fence. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12