- Date
- September 18, 2006, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Koliganek, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N82905Piper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20060918023429A
- Case key
- 64637
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 from rising terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain. Factors associated with the accident were a downdraft, the pilot's intentional low altitude flight, and his inadequate weather evaluation.
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 reported he was flying at a low altitude over rising terrain during a Title 14, CFR Part 91 business flight, searching for sites to deploy a tent camp in support of a lodge operation. While approaching a ridgeline, he stated that a powerful downdraft forced the airplane into a brush-covered hillside. The pilot reported that neither he nor the sole passenger were injured, and that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. The airplane received substantial damage to the wings and fuselage structure.
Factual narrative
The commercial certificated pilot reported he was flying at a low altitude over rising terrain during a Title 14, CFR Part 91 business flight, searching for sites to deploy a tent camp in support of a lodge operation. While approaching a ridgeline, he stated that a powerful downdraft forced the airplane into a brush-covered hillside. The pilot reported that neither he or the sole passenger were injured, and that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. The airplane received substantial damage to the wings and fuselage structure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N82905
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7709197
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Alaskan Adventures Lodge
- Registered owner
- Rocky C. McElveen
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Sleetmute, AK
- Destination
- Koliganek, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Flight hours
- 1,650 total · 550 in this make and model · 150 in the last 90 days · 93 in the last 30 days
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 N82905 · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.