- Date
- September 5, 2001, 16:30 local (Sep 6, 2001, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kotzebue, AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N407ACColburn Murphy Rebel
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20010905024179A
- Case key
- 54922
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 during takeoff. Factors associated with the accident were variable winds, and trees.
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 airline transport pilot, with one passenger aboard, was departing to the east and downhill from a remote off airport site. The pilot reported that just after takeoff, the 10 knot prevailing wind shifted from east to west. The pilot said that the airplane would not climb, and subsequently collided with a stand of trees at the end of the site. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On September 5, 2001, about 1630 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Colburn Murphy Rebel, an experimental, homebuilt airplane, N407AC, sustained substantial damage during takeoff from an off airport site located about 78 miles north of Kotzebue, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The certificated airline transport pilot sustained serious injuries, and the one passenger was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the accident site, and was en route to another remote off airport site.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on September 6, the pilot reported that shortly after a downhill, easterly takeoff, the 10 knot prevailing wind shifted from east to west. The pilot said that the airplane would not climb, and subsequently collided with a stand of trees at the end of the site. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N407AC
- Reported as
- Colburn Murphy Rebel
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 231R
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles W. Dixon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- OTZ · Kotzebue, AK
- Destination
- OTZ · Kotzebue, 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
- 26
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- January 22, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,420 total · 10 in this make and model · 3,860 as pilot in command · 140 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.