- Date
- August 27, 2006, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N801ZAFrisby CH801
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20060827017949A
- Case key
- 64401
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, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees during takeoff. Factors associated with the accident were wind gusts, and trees bordering the airstrip.
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 commercial certificated pilot was departing from a private airstrip surrounded by trees in a wheel-equipped experimental airplane, during a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight. After becoming airborne, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the left, and the left wing struck a stand of trees, which pivoted the airplane to the left. The airplane subsequently collided with the ground, and sustained structural damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The commercial certificated pilot was departing from a private airstrip surrounded by trees in a wheel-equipped experimental airplane, during a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight. After becoming airborne, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the left, and the left wing struck a stand of trees, which pivoted the airplane to the left. The airplane subsequently collided with the ground, and sustained structural damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N801ZA
- Reported as
- Frisby CH801
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 84230
- Airframe hours
- 100
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James A. Frisby
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2006 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- Palmer, AK
- Destination
- PAQ · Palmer, AK
- Airport
- runway 09
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
- 54
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 100 in this make and model · 2,300 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.