Event SEA98LA102

Factual narrative

On June 17, 1998, approximately 1015 mountain daylight time, N6386T, a Cessna TR182, was substantially damaged during takeoff from Johnson Creek airstrip, near Cascade, Idaho, while en route to McCall, Idaho. The certified flight instructor, his private pilot student, and another pilot-rated passenger, were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. There was no report of the ELT actuating. In an interview with an FAA inspector, the flight instructor stated that he was giving dual instruction to the current private pilot in the left seat. He was talking the student through a soft-field takeoff attempt with a nose-high attitude. About 1700 feet down the runway, the airplane lifted off at low airspeed. The left wing contacted the runway surface about 2000 feet down the runway, followed by the right wing tip. The airplane then nosed down and left the runway on the left side, about 2400-2500 feet down the 3400 foot runway. Witnesses described the airplane as having an over-rotated nose-high attitude during the takeoff run. The flight instructor stated that he assumed control of the airplane after lift-off. In a written statement, the flight instructor noted that the student "attempted to climb out of ground effect before a good flying speed was established. I was talking him through the take off. After saying nose down twice he dropped the nose with my help. The airplane settled back in with over 1/2 the runway remaining. The aircraft touched down lightly on the mains when it settled in, and then became airborne again. When the aircraft became airborne for the second time it started veering left toward the trees bordering the runway. At this point I took over the controls and headed the aircraft back toward the center of the runway. I reduced power to idle and attempted to land. When the power was reduced the elevator lost effectiveness. The left wing dropped and we touched down in a nose low position. This collapsed the nose wheel and the left wing hit the runway at about the same time." In an interview with an FAA inspector, the flight instructor stated that he was giving dual instruction to the current private pilot in the left seat. He was talking the student through a soft-field takeoff attempt with a nose-high attitude. About 1700 feet down the runway, the airplane lifted off at low airspeed. The left wing contacted the runway surface about 2000 feet down the runway, followed by the right wing tip. The airplane then nosed down and left the runway on the left side, about 2400-2500 feet down the 3400 foot runway. Witnesses described the airplane as having an over-rotated nose-high attitude during the takeoff run. The flight instructor stated that he assumed control of the airplane after lift-off and reduced the power in an attempt to land. He stated that the elevator lost effectiveness when he reduced the power, and it was at that time that the airplane's wing dropped and they touched down in a nose-low attitude. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12