# Accident 20260129010969A: American Chapion Aircraft 8KCAB, Alpine, WY, January 29, 2026

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 29, 2026, 14:30 local time
- Place: Alpine, WY
- Airport: Alpine
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.1921° N, 111.0563° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.1921&lon=-111.0563&mi=10
- Aircraft: N59SE (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: AMERICAN CHAPION AIRCRAFT 8KCAB
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 3,130 total, 217 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR26LA095](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA095) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260129010969A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PILOT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING BASE TURN FOR LANDING HE ENCOUNTERED FLAT LIGHT CONDITIONS, LOST DEPTH PRECEPTION AND DESCENDED INTO THE SNOW ON THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTATIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE A CURRENT REGISTRATION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR26LA095](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA095), Jan 29, 2026: American Champion 8KCAB (N59SE), Alpine, WY, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadvertent descent while operating in flat light conditions which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.