20230713010959A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aviat A-1B · Chickaloon, AK · July 13, 2023

Date: July 13, 2023 · 15:30 local
Place: Chickaloon, AK
Airport: Scandinavian Peaks Hut
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N460JC
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC23LA050
Reported as: Aviat A-1B
Reported engine: Lycoming O-360-A1P
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,020 total898 in this make and model261 in the last 90 days

N460JCRegistered now · Aviat A-1BS/N 2343 · Built 2006 Airframe modelAviat A-1B Engine modelLycoming O-360-A1PReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Accident occured at a remote airstrip located off the matanuska glacier. Pilot chose to make a takeoff toward rising terrain due to prevailing wind conditions on the surface, but then encountered significant downdrafts shortly after takeoff. Pilot realized he was not going to be able to climb out, and aborted the flight. The hard landing that followed resulted in significant damage to the aircraft. There were no injuries.//jhm//

As the FAA filed it

ACCIDENT OCCURED AT A REMOTE AIRSTRIP LOCATED OFF THE MATANUSKA GLACIER. PILOT CHOSE TO MAKE A TAKEOFF TOWARD RISING TERRAIN DUE TO PREVAILING WIND CONDITIONS ON THE SURFACE, BUT THEN ENCOUNTERED SIGNIFICANT DOWNDRAFTS SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. PILOT REALIZED HE WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CLIMB OUT, AND ABORTED THE FLIGHT. THE HARD LANDING THAT FOLLOWED RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.//JHM//

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC23LA050Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportMatanuska Glacier, AKThe airplane’s encounter with downdrafts resulting in decreased performance insufficient to outclimb rising terrain.Jul 13, 2023 · Substantial damage