Cessna 182P, N1403S; accident occurred June 09, 2016 in Stanley, Custer County, Idaho -Kathryn's Report

http://registry.faa.gov/N1403S

FAA Flight Standards District Office: FAA Boise FSDO-11

NTSB Identification: GAA16CA298
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, June 09, 2016 in Stanley, ID
Probable Cause Approval Date: 07/14/2016
Aircraft: CESSNA 182, registration: N1403S
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The pilot, accompanied by a flight instructor, was conducting mountainous backcountry familiarization training. The flight instructor reported that they had taxied about 1,000 feet down the runway because the field was wet. During takeoff at a high altitude (6,370 feet elevation) backcountry airstrip, the pilot reported that the airplane became airborne near the end of the runway. During the initial climb, the flight instructor reported that the pilot pulled back on the yoke abruptly, which caused the nose of the airplane to pitch up and obstruct their forward view. The flight instructor further reported that he told the pilot to lower the nose of the airplane to build up airspeed and allow for a visual reference. As the pilot lowered the nose, the left wing of the airplane impacted a tree.

The flight instructor reported that he and the pilot assessed the damage and controllability of the airplane, and decided to continue their flight since they did not want to do any more maneuvering than was necessary and they were already headed towards their destination airport. During cruise flight, the flight instructor noticed some "pulling" to the left and some visual damage to the left wing. The flight instructor further reported that they landed at their destination airport uneventfully.

A postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the left wing and aileron. 

The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

A postaccident mechanical inspection by the pilot's mechanic revealed a 20/80 compression on the No. 3 cylinder. A representative from the engine manufacturer stated that there would have been negligible power loss due to the low compression and that the postaccident compression test would be invalid because the test was conducted on a cold engine. Included in the public docket for this report is a copy of the service bulletin from Continental on the procedures for conducting a differential pressure test and borescope inspection procedures for cylinders.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's failure to attain an adequate climb gradient, which resulted in a collision with a tree and subsequent substantial damage to the left wing and aileron.