- Date
- July 20, 2006, 08:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Willow, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2438KLuscombe 8E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20060720014659A
- Case key
- 64616
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 misjudged distance/altitude during landing, which resulted in an undershoot and an in-flight collision with 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 solo private pilot was landing at a private airstrip during a Title 14, CFR Part 91 local area personal flight. He reported that while landing to the south, he inadvertently allowed the airplane to descend into an area that contained trees, about 25 feet short of the airstrip. As a result, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot noted in his written report to the NTSB that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On July 20, 2006, about 0845 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Luscombe 8E airplane, N2438K, sustained substantial damage while landing at a private airstrip about 5 miles east of Willow, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The solo private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Birchwood, Airport, Chugiak, Alaska, about 0820.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on July 20, the pilot reported that while landing to the south, he inadvertently allowed the airplane to descend into an area that contained trees, about 25 feet short of the airstrip. As a result, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage.
The pilot noted in his written report to the NTSB that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2438K
- Reported as
- Luscombe 8E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5165
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Peter T. Pupator
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BCV · Chugiak, AK
- Destination
- Willow, AK
- Airport
- runway 18, gravel
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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- January 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 416 total · 160 in this make and model · 350 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
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 N2438K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.