At about 15:30 Alaska time, a float-equipped Maule M-7-235B was damaged while attempting takeoff from a remote lake about 25 miles northeast of Koliganek. The two occupants were not injured. The pilot said he taxied to the center of the 1,500-foot lake several times to check for wind conditions, but the wind appeared to be shifting. He aborted his first takeoff to the northeast and decided to take off to the southwest, including a step turn. During the takeoff run, he decided to add flaps and reached for the flap handle. However, he reached for the area where the flaps are located in his other airplane, a Piper Super Cub. He was distracted by not finding the flap handle and collided with the bank of the lake.
September 01, Koliganek, Ak. / Maule M-7-235B
At about 15:30 Alaska time, a float-equipped Maule M-7-235B was damaged while attempting takeoff from a remote lake about 25 miles northeast of Koliganek. The two occupants were not injured. The pilot said he taxied to the center of the 1,500-foot lake several times to check for wind conditions, but the wind appeared to be shifting. He aborted his first takeoff to the northeast and decided to take off to the southwest, including a step turn. During the takeoff run, he decided to add flaps and reached for the flap handle. However, he reached for the area where the flaps are located in his other airplane, a Piper Super Cub. He was distracted by not finding the flap handle and collided with the...
Key Takeaways:
- A float-equipped Maule M-7-235B floatplane was damaged during a takeoff attempt from a remote Alaskan lake, though its two occupants were uninjured.
- The incident occurred when the pilot, distracted by mistakenly reaching for the flap handle in a location used in his *other* airplane, collided with the bank of the lake.
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