- Date
- August 29, 2006, 20:45 local (Aug 30, 2006, 04:45 UTC)
- Place
- Healy, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5375RCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20060829017909A
- Case key
- 64635
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 failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance while maneuvering, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain. Factors associated with the accident were rising terrain, and the pilot's low altitude flight.
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 private pilot was conducting a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight with two passengers in an area of mountainous terrain. He reported that while maneuvering in an area of rising terrain, he realized that he was too low, and initiated a climb. Unable to out-climb the rising terrain, he selected a forced landing site. The airplane sustained structural damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. In his written report to the NTSB, the pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane, but noted that carburetor icing may have been present at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that weather conditions at the time of the accident were, in part: Wind, 180 degrees at 10 knots; visibility, greater than 50 miles; ceiling and cloud conditions, clear; and temperature, 50 degrees F.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was conducting a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight with two passengers in an area of mountainous terrain. He reported that while maneuvering in an area of rising terrain, he realized that he was too low, and initiated a climb. Unable to out-climb the rising terrain, he selected a forced landing site. The airplane sustained structural damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. In his written report to the NTSB, the pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane, but noted that carburetor icing may have been present at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that weather conditions at the time of the accident were, in part: Wind, 180 degrees at 10 knots; visibility, greater than 50 miles; ceiling and cloud conditions, clear; and temperature, 50 degrees F.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5375R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17263527
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bruce A. Carter
- Registered owner
- Arctic Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- HVI · Healy, 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
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 83 total · 81 in this make and model · 38 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
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.
Other investigations on N5375R · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.