What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The airplane departed from a remote hunting base camp at about 0930 and traveled to a 2,500 ft. ridge about 2.5 miles away to drop off supplies to hunting guide; the pilot was planning to continue to Mcgrath for fuel afterwards. According to the guide, the airplane flew over their camp several times before flying further up the ridge and executed several slow and low passes of
The ridge in an x pattern likely trying to determine wind and landing conditions. The pilot had landed on this ridge many times over the years; this was the first landing of the season here. The guide reported the winds to be about 15 mph from the northeast and good visibility. The guide said the airplane was traveling slow and low level on a southwest heading and was
Beginning a right turn to the northeast. As the airplane began what the guide thought to be a right base to final turn, he lost site of the airplane. However, he could still hear the engine. He reported hearing the engine call for a lot of power twice and about 30 seconds later he heard the airplane impact the ground. The guide approached the accident and found the pilot unconscious and shortly thereafter succumbed to his injuries.
The national transportation safety board investigator-in-charge traveled with the Alaska state
Troopers to the remote crash site on September 1. The airplane was found nosed down, in a near vertical attitude, on a northeast heading on the south side of the ridge. The wings remained partially attached and the tail was bent slightly to the right. Control cable continuity from the ailerons, flaps and rudder were intact to the fuselage, and fuel was present in the fuel lines.
The airplane wreckage has been recovered from the remote site, a detailed postaccident examination of the airframe and engine will be accomplished.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM A REMOTE HUNTING BASE CAMP AT ABOUT 0930 AND TRAVELED TO A 2,500 FT. RIDGE ABOUT 2.5 MILES AWAY TO DROP OFF SUPPLIES TO HUNTING GUIDE; THE PILOT WAS PLANNING TO CONTINUE TO MCGRATH FOR FUEL AFTERWARDS. ACCORDING TO THE GUIDE, THE AIRPLANE FLEW OVER THEIR CAMP SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE FLYING FURTHER UP THE RIDGE AND EXECUTED SEVERAL SLOW AND LOW PASSES OF
THE RIDGE IN AN X PATTERN LIKELY TRYING TO DETERMINE WIND AND LANDING CONDITIONS. THE PILOT HAD LANDED ON THIS RIDGE MANY TIMES OVER THE YEARS; THIS WAS THE FIRST LANDING OF THE SEASON HERE. THE GUIDE REPORTED THE WINDS TO BE ABOUT 15 MPH FROM THE NORTHEAST AND GOOD VISIBILITY. THE GUIDE SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS TRAVELING SLOW AND LOW LEVEL ON A SOUTHWEST HEADING AND WAS
BEGINNING A RIGHT TURN TO THE NORTHEAST. AS THE AIRPLANE BEGAN WHAT THE GUIDE THOUGHT TO BE A RIGHT BASE TO FINAL TURN, HE LOST SITE OF THE AIRPLANE. HOWEVER, HE COULD STILL HEAR THE ENGINE. HE REPORTED HEARING THE ENGINE CALL FOR A LOT OF POWER TWICE AND ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER HE HEARD THE AIRPLANE IMPACT THE GROUND. THE GUIDE APPROACHED THE ACCIDENT AND FOUND THE PILOT UNCONSCIOUS AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER SUCCUMBED TO HIS INJURIES.
THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE TRAVELED WITH THE ALASKA STATE
TROOPERS TO THE REMOTE CRASH SITE ON SEPTEMBER 1. THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND NOSED DOWN, IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE, ON A NORTHEAST HEADING ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE RIDGE. THE WINGS REMAINED PARTIALLY ATTACHED AND THE TAIL WAS BENT SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT. CONTROL CABLE CONTINUITY FROM THE AILERONS, FLAPS AND RUDDER WERE INTACT TO THE FUSELAGE, AND FUEL WAS PRESENT IN THE FUEL LINES.
THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE HAS BEEN RECOVERED FROM THE REMOTE SITE, A DETAILED POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED.
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 N7154Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.