# NTSB investigations, AK: Low altitude operation/event

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB ANC26LA055](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC26LA055.md): Piper PA-18 105 · Petersville, AK · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Investigation open · Jun 18, 2026 · N249T · Substantial damage
- [NTSB ANC26LA037](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC26LA037.md): Tundrair King · Palmer, AK · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report · May 6, 2026 · N62TK · Destroyed
  > On May 5, 2026, about 1950 Alaska daylight time (AKDT), an experimental Tundrair King airplane, N62TK, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Palmer, Alaska. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of…
- [NTSB ANC25LA085](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25LA085.md): Dehavilland DHC-2 MK 1 · Soldotna, AK · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 9, 2025 · N232KT · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from rising terrain while maneuvering at low altitude.
- [NTSB ANC25LA083](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25LA083.md): Aviat A-1B · Chisana, AK · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 2, 2025 · N900HY · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at low altitude.
- [NTSB ANC25LA023](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25LA023.md): Cessna 172 · Cantwell, AK · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Mar 10, 2025 · N5375R · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain altitude during a low-altitude maneuver which resulted in inadvertent ground contact and a nose over.
- [NTSB ANC24LA083](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC24LA083.md): Piper PA22 · Aleknagik, AK · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 30, 2024 · N4NW · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at low altitude.
- [NTSB ANC24LA015](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC24LA015.md): Cessna R172K · Trapper Creek, AK · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Feb 17, 2024 · N1258V · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall; loss of airplane control; and impact with terrain.
- [NTSB ANC23LA046](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC23LA046.md): Piper PA-22 · Talkeetna, AK · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 2, 2023 · N3321B · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s encounter with a downdraft while maneuvering low-level, which resulted in a collision with terrain.
- [NTSB ANC23FA004](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC23FA004.md): Piper PA-18 · Chickaloon, AK · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Nov 10, 2022 · N7123K · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to fly at low altitude, which resulted in a collision with a cable.
- [NTSB ANC22LA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC22LA022.md): Cessna U206F · Newhalen, AK · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Mar 5, 2022 · N1853Q · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s decision to continue visual flight into an area of instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot experiencing a loss of visual reference and subsequent controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB ANC20CA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC20CA049.md): Cessna 185 · Palmer, AK · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report · May 6, 2020 · N185SZ · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s decision to attempt to " water ski" atop a remote river in a wheel-equipped airplane, resulting in a loss of control and a nose over.
- [NTSB ANC20CA018](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC20CA018.md): Cessna 172 · Palmer, AK · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Feb 6, 2020 · N817PS · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from snow-covered terrain while maneuvering at low altitude.
- [NTSB ANC17LA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC17LA040.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Solomon, AK · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Aug 3, 2017 · N4138M · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude above water, and his loss of situational awareness, which resulted in an inadvertent descent and collision with water.
- [NTSB ANC17FA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC17FA035.md): Aeronca 15AC · Big Lake, AK · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 15, 2017 · N1370H · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees during low-altitude flight, which resulted in an in-flight collision and impact with terrain.
- [NTSB GAA17CA388](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA388.md): Cessna 207 · Hope, AK · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 3, 2017 · N9620M · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions and subsequent controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB ANC17LA016](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC17LA016.md): Piper PA18 · Sterling, AK · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Feb 9, 2017 · N1268A · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s loss of control while maneuvering for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
- [NTSB ANC17FA009](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC17FA009.md): Bellanca 7GCBC · Fairbanks, AK · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Dec 7, 2016 · N88452 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s decision to operate the airplane at an altitude too low to allow for recovery from an intentional aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of knowledge of the stall performance characteristics of the airplane modified…
- [NTSB ANC15LA073](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC15LA073.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Fort Glenn, AK · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 19, 2015 · N7162R · Substantial damage
  > The separation of the tail rotor gearbox from the tailboom attachment point due to overstress loads imposed by a tail rotor blade imbalance as the result of impact with an undetermined object during low-level flight operations.
- [NTSB ANC15FA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC15FA066.md): Cessna 180 · Kasilof, AK · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 23, 2015 · N3043E · Substantial damage
  > The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on postaccident examination and testing.
- [NTSB ANC15FA050](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC15FA050.md): Cessna U206G · Trapper Creek, AK · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 20, 2015 · N734VB · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees while intentionally maneuvering close to the ground.
- [NTSB ANC15FA032](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC15FA032.md): Cessna 207 · Bethel, AK · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · May 30, 2015 · N1653U · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain altitude, which resulted in collision with the terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment from carbon monoxide exposure in flight. The source of the carbon monoxide could not be determined because the…
- [NTSB ANC14FA068](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC14FA068.md): Ryan Navion A · Coldfoot, AK · Accident · Serious injuries · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 24, 2014 · N4827K · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s improper inflight planning and improper decision to deliberately operate the airplane at low altitude in close proximity to obstructions and rising terrain. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s improper preflight planning and the Federal…
- [NTSB ANC12CA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC12CA067.md): Cessna 207A · Kotlik, AK · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 6, 2012 · N2162C · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from terrain during cruise flight at low altitude, which resulted in an in-flight collision with water. A contributing factor was the pilot’s diverted attention to adjust the engine power.
- [NTSB ANC12CA029](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC12CA029.md): Cessna 180 · Palmer, AK · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Mar 30, 2012 · N266V · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from terrain during low-level maneuvering.
- [NTSB ANC11CA021](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC11CA021.md): Piper PA-18-150 · Chicken Lake, AK · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Mar 27, 2011 · N91117 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from terrain.
- [NTSB ANC10CA096](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC10CA096.md): Piper PA-18-150 · Chicken, AK · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Sep 9, 2010 · N83395 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to fly at a low altitude in terrain and weather conditions conducive to turbulence and downdrafts.
- [NTSB ANC10LA065](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC10LA065.md): Cessna 170B · Palmer, AK · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 23, 2010 · N4590C · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to make a low-altitude pass over a remote airstrip toward rising terrain in weather conducive to downdrafts.
- [NTSB ANC10CA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC10CA060.md): Cessna 172N · Palmer, AK · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 12, 2010 · N6594D · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to fly towards rising terrain that exceeded the climb capability of the airplane.
- [NTSB ANC10LA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC10LA053.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Unalaska, AK · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 20, 2010 · N333DV · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inappropriate low altitude maneuvering, which resulted in a collision with terrain.
- [NTSB ANC10FA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC10FA038.md): Piper PA-18-135 · Willow, AK · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · May 14, 2010 · N1123 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a tree due to the effects of impairment from alcohol consumption.
- [NTSB ANC10FA004](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC10FA004.md): Cessna A185E · Healy, AK · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Oct 14, 2009 · N2764J · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to maneuver at a low altitude over rising terrain in conditions conducive to turbulence/downdrafts, resulting in a loss of control and impact with terrain.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."eventStateOrRegion" = 'AK' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT s.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s."tier2Number" = '220' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent"))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence?state=AK

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