What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 12 September 2023, the pilot flying a taylor craft BC-12D departed lake hood strip (lhd) following an annual inspection and flew to birchwood airport (bcv) to perform touch-and-go landings. When the traffic pattern became busy the pilot departed the area for Palmer airport (paq). After discovering a busy traffic pattern at paq the pilot proceeded east toward sutton and entered a valley he had never flown in before. The pilot proceeded to follow a river in the valley at approximately 450 feet above ground level (AGL). At around 1850 local Alaska time the pilot stalled the aircraft while attempting to reverse course and climb out of rising terrain at about 4800 feet MSL and less than 300 feet AGL. The aircraft stalled around 50 – 55 mph according to the pilot. The crash site is located approximately seven miles southeast of the matanuska river at N61* 38’ 40” and W148* 41’ 09”.
As the FAA filed it
ON 12 SEPTEMBER 2023, THE PILOT FLYING A TAYLOR CRAFT BC-12D DEPARTED LAKE HOOD STRIP (LHD) FOLLOWING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION AND FLEW TO BIRCHWOOD AIRPORT (BCV) TO PERFORM TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS. WHEN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN BECAME BUSY THE PILOT DEPARTED THE AREA FOR PALMER AIRPORT (PAQ). AFTER DISCOVERING A BUSY TRAFFIC PATTERN AT PAQ THE PILOT PROCEEDED EAST TOWARD SUTTON AND ENTERED A VALLEY HE HAD NEVER FLOWN IN BEFORE. THE PILOT PROCEEDED TO FOLLOW A RIVER IN THE VALLEY AT APPROXIMATELY 450 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL). AT AROUND 1850 LOCAL ALASKA TIME THE PILOT STALLED THE AIRCRAFT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE COURSE AND CLIMB OUT OF RISING TERRAIN AT ABOUT 4800 FEET MSL AND LESS THAN 300 FEET AGL. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AROUND 50 – 55 MPH ACCORDING TO THE PILOT. THE CRASH SITE IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY SEVEN MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE MATANUSKA RIVER AT N61* 38’ 40” AND W148* 41’ 09”.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N95250 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.