What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 11, 2022 at approximately 1730 adt privacy data omitted, a CH7A Champion single engine aircraft crashed in the vicinity of thompson pass Alaska approximately 20 miles east of Valdez, Alaska. The aircraft was operated under FAR part 91 by a student pilot with approximately 45 hours of total flight time.
At approximately 1700 ADT/0100Z, the student pilot departed Valdez, Alaska. The current METAR at Valdez reported winds 260 @ 11 knots, 3100? Overcase a few at 1500' with 3 miles vis, rain and mist. The pilot was departing Valdez to return to his home at sutton Alaska. The Alaska dot highway weather cameras within a mile of the accient site depicted low clouds/fog to the surface. The aircraft was not equipped with basic attitude flying instrumentation and because the student pilot?s aircraft that he trained in was not equiped with attitude instruments, the student did not received attitude flying instruction prior to solo cross country flights.
The student pilot did not receive ground instruction for a flight to Valdez, AK nor did the student have a current 90 day solo endorsement required by FAR regulations. It appears the student was not operating under the supervision of a certificated flight instructor.
Investigation at the crash site indicated that the aircraft had flown over thompson pass and crashed about 1380 feet away from hwy 4 (the richardson highway). The debris pattern appears to support that the aircraft was still under power and decending rapidly. The aircraft crashed into descending terrain on the north face of the pass. The evidence appears to support the pilot attempted to fly low level following the richardson highway into rising terrain causing the pilot to inadvertently enter into IMC conditions leading to a loss of control. The aircraft then appears have either entered into a steep nose down attitude at a high rate of decent to the crash location.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 11, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 1730 ADT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A CH7A CHAMPION SINGLE ENGINE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN THE VICINITY OF THOMPSON PASS ALASKA APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES EAST OF VALDEZ, ALASKA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED UNDER FAR PART 91 BY A STUDENT PILOT WITH APPROXIMATELY 45 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT TIME.
AT APPROXIMATELY 1700 ADT/0100Z, THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED VALDEZ, ALASKA. THE CURRENT METAR AT VALDEZ REPORTED WINDS 260 @ 11 KNOTS, 3100? OVERCASE A FEW AT 1500' WITH 3 MILES VIS, RAIN AND MIST. THE PILOT WAS DEPARTING VALDEZ TO RETURN TO HIS HOME AT SUTTON ALASKA. THE ALASKA DOT HIGHWAY WEATHER CAMERAS WITHIN A MILE OF THE ACCIENT SITE DEPICTED LOW CLOUDS/FOG TO THE SURFACE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH BASIC ATTITUDE FLYING INSTRUMENTATION AND BECAUSE THE STUDENT PILOT?S AIRCRAFT THAT HE TRAINED IN WAS NOT EQUIPED WITH ATTITUDE INSTRUMENTS, THE STUDENT DID NOT RECEIVED ATTITUDE FLYING INSTRUCTION PRIOR TO SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHTS.
THE STUDENT PILOT DID NOT RECEIVE GROUND INSTRUCTION FOR A FLIGHT TO VALDEZ, AK NOR DID THE STUDENT HAVE A CURRENT 90 DAY SOLO ENDORSEMENT REQUIRED BY FAR REGULATIONS. IT APPEARS THE STUDENT WAS NOT OPERATING UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR.
INVESTIGATION AT THE CRASH SITE INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD FLOWN OVER THOMPSON PASS AND CRASHED ABOUT 1380 FEET AWAY FROM HWY 4 (THE RICHARDSON HIGHWAY). THE DEBRIS PATTERN APPEARS TO SUPPORT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL UNDER POWER AND DECENDING RAPIDLY. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO DESCENDING TERRAIN ON THE NORTH FACE OF THE PASS. THE EVIDENCE APPEARS TO SUPPORT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO FLY LOW LEVEL FOLLOWING THE RICHARDSON HIGHWAY INTO RISING TERRAIN CAUSING THE PILOT TO INADVERTENTLY ENTER INTO IMC CONDITIONS LEADING TO A LOSS OF CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT THEN APPEARS HAVE EITHER ENTERED INTO A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AT A HIGH RATE OF DECENT TO THE CRASH LOCATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.