- Date
- September 14, 2000, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sparrevohn, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9654SChampion 7GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 10, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20000914041979A
- Case key
- 51002
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions. Factors associated with the accident were variable winds, and a crosswind.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The certificated commercial pilot started a southwesterly takeoff run from a 1,500 feet long, remote sand bar. Just after lift-off, as the airplane started to climb, a strong gust of wind from the right lifted the right wing, and rolled the airplane about 90 degrees. As he applied full right aileron to correct for the roll, the airplane's wings leveled, but that it was in an uncontrolled decent. The airplane continued to descend and struck an embankment. It sustained substantial damage to the wings, wing lift struts, and fuselage. The pilot said that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On September 14, 2000, about 1530 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Champion 7GCBC airplane, N9654S, sustained substantial damage during takeoff from an off airport site, about 40 miles east of Sparrevohn, Alaska, at 61 degrees 01 minutes north latitude, 154 degrees 08 minutes west longitude. The solo certificated commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1200, from the Birchwood Airport, Chugiak, Alaska.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on October 1, the pilot reported that he started a southwesterly takeoff run from a 1,500 feet long remote sand bar. He said that just after lift-off, as the airplane started to climb, a strong gust of wind from the right lifted the right wing, and rolled the airplane about 90 degrees. He said that as he applied full right aileron to correct for the roll, the airplane's wings leveled, but that it was in an uncontrolled decent. The airplane continued to descend and struck an embankment. It sustained substantial damage to the wings, wing lift struts, and fuselage.
The pilot said that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9654S
- Reported as
- Champion 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 52
- Airframe hours
- 2,897
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gary R. Brown
- Registered owner
- F. Mark Krupinski
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 10, 1999 · 128 hours before
- Departed
- BCV · Birchwood, AK
- Destination
- Stony River, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 4,500 total · 400 in this make and model · 1,700 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.