<< >> NASA ASRS Report 248345, August 1993

Pilot of an small aircraft sel aircraft on floats just missed colliding with a sailboat during takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	248345
Time
Date	199308
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : s60
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 255 flight time total : 3840 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	248345
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Warm afternoon in seattle. Takeoff from union bay, part of ship canal between lake washington and lake union. Many boats, water skiers, sailboats. Takeoff was planned to give sailboat required 500 ft clearance, but after getting onto step, a power boat entered planned takeoff area. Clearance narrowed because of need to avoid both boats. Planned takeoff run increased due to boat wake, unseasonably warm WX, slight tailwind. Resulting clearance from sailboat deemed unacceptably close. Analysis: I could have aborted takeoff (although already being on step and having just encountered rough water I felt it was better to continue, even with added factor of power boat). I could have waited, taxied east, and taken off to west. (Drawback: west end is a populated area over land, with noise sensitive hospital.) although original choice of takeoff direction led to open water. I should have anticipated the possibility of power boat traffic and given myself more options. Need to maintain schedule (i.e., impatience) was a factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT ON FLOATS JUST MISSED COLLIDING WITH A SAILBOAT DURING TKOF.

Narrative: WARM AFTERNOON IN SEATTLE. TKOF FROM UNION BAY, PART OF SHIP CANAL BTWN LAKE WASHINGTON AND LAKE UNION. MANY BOATS, WATER SKIERS, SAILBOATS. TKOF WAS PLANNED TO GIVE SAILBOAT REQUIRED 500 FT CLRNC, BUT AFTER GETTING ONTO STEP, A PWR BOAT ENTERED PLANNED TKOF AREA. CLRNC NARROWED BECAUSE OF NEED TO AVOID BOTH BOATS. PLANNED TKOF RUN INCREASED DUE TO BOAT WAKE, UNSEASONABLY WARM WX, SLIGHT TAILWIND. RESULTING CLRNC FROM SAILBOAT DEEMED UNACCEPTABLY CLOSE. ANALYSIS: I COULD HAVE ABORTED TKOF (ALTHOUGH ALREADY BEING ON STEP AND HAVING JUST ENCOUNTERED ROUGH WATER I FELT IT WAS BETTER TO CONTINUE, EVEN WITH ADDED FACTOR OF PWR BOAT). I COULD HAVE WAITED, TAXIED E, AND TAKEN OFF TO W. (DRAWBACK: W END IS A POPULATED AREA OVER LAND, WITH NOISE SENSITIVE HOSPITAL.) ALTHOUGH ORIGINAL CHOICE OF TKOF DIRECTION LED TO OPEN WATER. I SHOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED THE POSSIBILITY OF PWR BOAT TFC AND GIVEN MYSELF MORE OPTIONS. NEED TO MAINTAIN SCHEDULE (I.E., IMPATIENCE) WAS A FACTOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.