Narrative:

At XA30 on jul/sat/01, my wife and I were set to depart crooked lake, ak, where we have had a cabin for 20 yrs. I was PIC of our C180J on floats. As is normal procedure, we pulled off from our dock and slow taxied to the departure point (1 on attached map). We checked the vicinity for boats and jet skis and seeing none began our takeoff run. As we were coming up on step a jet ski came from behind freundly island to my left and accelerated past us. Seeing the possibility for conflict, I aborted the takeoff run and pulled power back to idle (2 on attached map). The jet ski slowed and then made a right 90 degree turn towards my path. The jet ski operator did not look back before his turn to the right. At about 8 ft away from me, the jet ski saw me and turned sharp right to avoid my left float. He missed it by about 1 ft. The jet ski operator quickly left the area and made for his family's dock (3 on attached map). By the time we had returned to the area, the jet ski was parked and he had vanished. We spoke to an adult on the dock who said she had 'scolded' the boy and forbidden him to drive the jet ski again. On inquiry, we learned the boy was 13 yrs old, although he looked much younger. I have been flying ski operations for 16 yrs and water operations for 8 yrs off this lake and have never had a conflict on the lake itself. I have had to go around about once a yr on landing as a result of jet ski traffic. The proliferation of jet skis over the last 10 yrs requires the utmost vigilance both on takeoff and departure, particularly since many of the jet skis are driven by young children without training and unsupervised by an adult. As a result of this incident, a neighbor filed a report with the state troopers asking them to intervene with the family of the jet skier. When I returned from the lake, I also filed a complaint with the troopers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C180 FLAT PLANE ON TKOF RUN IS NEARLY HIT BY A JET SKI OPERATED BY AN UNDER-AGE DRIVEN ON CROOKED LAKE NEAR THE BCQ VORTAC, ANC, AK.

Narrative: AT XA30 ON JUL/SAT/01, MY WIFE AND I WERE SET TO DEPART CROOKED LAKE, AK, WHERE WE HAVE HAD A CABIN FOR 20 YRS. I WAS PIC OF OUR C180J ON FLOATS. AS IS NORMAL PROC, WE PULLED OFF FROM OUR DOCK AND SLOW TAXIED TO THE DEP POINT (1 ON ATTACHED MAP). WE CHKED THE VICINITY FOR BOATS AND JET SKIS AND SEEING NONE BEGAN OUR TKOF RUN. AS WE WERE COMING UP ON STEP A JET SKI CAME FROM BEHIND FREUNDLY ISLAND TO MY L AND ACCELERATED PAST US. SEEING THE POSSIBILITY FOR CONFLICT, I ABORTED THE TKOF RUN AND PULLED PWR BACK TO IDLE (2 ON ATTACHED MAP). THE JET SKI SLOWED AND THEN MADE A R 90 DEG TURN TOWARDS MY PATH. THE JET SKI OPERATOR DID NOT LOOK BACK BEFORE HIS TURN TO THE R. AT ABOUT 8 FT AWAY FROM ME, THE JET SKI SAW ME AND TURNED SHARP R TO AVOID MY L FLOAT. HE MISSED IT BY ABOUT 1 FT. THE JET SKI OPERATOR QUICKLY LEFT THE AREA AND MADE FOR HIS FAMILY'S DOCK (3 ON ATTACHED MAP). BY THE TIME WE HAD RETURNED TO THE AREA, THE JET SKI WAS PARKED AND HE HAD VANISHED. WE SPOKE TO AN ADULT ON THE DOCK WHO SAID SHE HAD 'SCOLDED' THE BOY AND FORBIDDEN HIM TO DRIVE THE JET SKI AGAIN. ON INQUIRY, WE LEARNED THE BOY WAS 13 YRS OLD, ALTHOUGH HE LOOKED MUCH YOUNGER. I HAVE BEEN FLYING SKI OPS FOR 16 YRS AND WATER OPS FOR 8 YRS OFF THIS LAKE AND HAVE NEVER HAD A CONFLICT ON THE LAKE ITSELF. I HAVE HAD TO GO AROUND ABOUT ONCE A YR ON LNDG AS A RESULT OF JET SKI TFC. THE PROLIFERATION OF JET SKIS OVER THE LAST 10 YRS REQUIRES THE UTMOST VIGILANCE BOTH ON TKOF AND DEP, PARTICULARLY SINCE MANY OF THE JET SKIS ARE DRIVEN BY YOUNG CHILDREN WITHOUT TRAINING AND UNSUPERVISED BY AN ADULT. AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT, A NEIGHBOR FILED A RPT WITH THE STATE TROOPERS ASKING THEM TO INTERVENE WITH THE FAMILY OF THE JET SKIER. WHEN I RETURNED FROM THE LAKE, I ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE TROOPERS.

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.