Originally published at: Pilot Learns Costly Lessons In Beach Crash - AVweb
Some questionable pilot decision-making resulted in some hefty bills for a pilot in Canada.
Well here’s the Darwin award winner of the year. I doubt anyone can beat it. Yet…
And to think how highly I regarded the Canadian TSB all these years–wow!
And then he put it on the world wide web… The world is strange and the strange turn pro.
Seems like he might’ve had better luck if he had simply used the soft-field takeoff procedure everyone learns during primary flight training.
Looked like the elevator was full nose-up from the start of the takeoff roll. What did he miss doing?
Taking off the wheel pants would be a minimum “must do”; they’ll just pack up with mud.
Installing larger tyres all around would be next on the list, since using full up elevator just loads even more weight down onto those tiny mains.
Huh?
Simple case, facts evident, not worth taxpayer money for Transportation Safety Board to chase.
OTOH, Transport Canada may ‘have words’ with pilot about his qualification.
Interesting…Aircraft registration does not show up in Canadian Aircraft Registry.
‘Van’s Air Force’ web site reports that he landed above tide reach (tides low this time of year).
RV-6A off field in Comox/Courtenay, BC | Van’s Air Force
I saw at least one automobile get stuck then washed by tide at the beach near the ‘Iona Island’ sewage pipe jetty beside YVR. One I remember in detail was a VW Beetle, it floated so was moved to firm sand.
Hafta get money for the helo lift somehow. :-o)
Presumably not enough lateral space to take off on that beach - or he just blew it, didn’t think about the nature of sand.
It would be safe to assume that the conversion from fast taxiing to flight experienced a sudden and completely unexpected interruption.
Otherwise, the storyline and video paints a beautiful picture of a profoundly professional example of safe and excellent airmanship.
Onward and upward! 
A comedy of errors, under the airspace where serious airplanes fly (CFB Comox).
(‘Courtenay’ was mentioned, that’s the larger town on the west side of Comox BC, smaller Cumberland further west.
They are on the east side of Vancouver Island.
Plane reported to be based in Duncan which is well to the south along the island highway. Airport CYDUQ, probably along H18 north of Duncan, though there are farm fields in that area.)
BTW, if really keen on seeing the Snowbirds aerial demonstration team practice each spring. They want the visual experience of sea and mountains lacking at their Moose Jaw SK base.
Video of helo lifting airplane off of beach, appears sling is to propeller hub and under fuselage aft of wing.
I’ll say this just once for those that like to take and post videos - modern HD video media is a horizontal medium. Regardless of whether the video is an idiotic moment (like this one) or something brilliant, at least have the smarts to turn your smart phone horizontal and not lose about 50% of the image area.
From Russ:
A constant lament of editors everywhere.
Ya gotta wonder how long he’s been flying to ‘run out of gas’ and force a landing. No check of the tanks before takeoff? Hmmm…..where am I going next?
He missed aborting the takeoff when the nose wheel didn’t come off the ground.