# NTSB ANC06LA105: American Champion 8GCBC, N35RF, Anchorage, AK, August 1, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 31, 2006, 17:00 local (Aug 1, 2006, 01:00 UTC) - Place: Anchorage, AK - Coordinates: 61.394443, -149.84555 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.3944&lon=-149.8456&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor - Status: Completed, report May 29, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Anchorage FSDO-03 - NTSB case key (mKey): 64247 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC06LA105 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64247/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC06LA105 ## Probable cause The flight instructor's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed to avoid a stall during a turn to reverse direction, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and a loss of control. Factors associated with the accident are the inadvertent stall, and the flight instructor's improper in-flight planning/decision to simulate a low altitude loss of engine power over water. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, maneuvering - turn to reverse direction - in-flight planning/decision - improper, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) - low altitude flight/maneuver - performed, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) - emergency procedure - simulated, pilot in command(cfi) - airspeed(vs) - not maintained, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) - In flight collision with object, descent - uncontrolled - object - tree(s) ## Analysis The commercial certificated flight instructor was giving primary flight instruction under Title 14, CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. According to the student pilot, they were doing traffic pattern work at a gravel airstrip, when during initial climb from the runway, the instructor "pulled the engine" to simulate a loss of engine power emergency. The runway they were using required a departure over a saltwater inlet, and the only recourse was to execute a 180 degree turn toward the runway they had just departed. The student estimated they were 300-500 feet above the water when he initiated a standard rate turn. He said the instructor told him the turn was not steep enough, but because of the low altitude, the student did not feel comfortable increasing the angle of bank. The student said the instructor took control of the airplane, and dramatically increased the angle of bank. He said the airplane stalled, and dove toward the ground, with the instructor leveling the wings just as the airplane collided with trees adjacent to the runway. The student said the airplane's wings and fuselage received structural damage. ## Factual narrative On July 31, 2006, about 1700 Alaska daylight time, an American Champion 8GCBC airplane, N35RF, sustained substantial damage when it collided with trees during a simulated engine out landing at the Goose Bay Airstrip, about 10 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the flight instructor as a visual flight rules (VFR) instructional flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The commercial certificated flight instructor received minor injuries, and the student pilot received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Merrill Field, Anchorage, about 1519. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on July 31, a relative of the instructor pilot said the instructor pilot telephoned him from the accident site, and said the airplane had nosed over during landing, damaging the wings and fuselage. During a telephone interview with the NTSB IIC on January 24, 2007, the student pilot said they were doing pattern work at a gravel airstrip. He said during climb from the runway the instructor "pulled the engine" to simulate an engine out emergency. The student said the runway they were using required a climb over a saltwater inlet, and the only recourse was to execute a 180 degree turn toward the runway they had just departed. The student said he thought they were 300-500 feet above the water, and he initiated a standard rate turn. He said the instructor told him the turn was not steep enough. The student said because of their altitude he did not feel comfortable increasing the angle of bank. The student said the instructor took control of the airplane and dramatically increased the angle of bank, at which time the airplane stalled and dove toward the ground. He said the instructor leveled the wings just as the airplane collided with trees adjacent to the runway. The flight instructor did not complete the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident form as requested, and he did not respond to telephone messages left by the IIC. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N35RF](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N35RF-2008-08-27), registration cancelled 2008-08-27, S/N 438-2002, built 2002 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: American Champion (ACAC) 8GCBC - Registry model: [American Champion 8GCBC](https://openairdocs.org/model/american-champion-8gcbc) (registry code 2121004) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-series) (registry code 41575, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 438-2002 - Airframe hours: 545 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-C1G 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Kenny Morris - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 1, 2006 - Departed: MRI, Merrill Field, AK - Airport: Z40, Goose Bay, runway 07, 3,000 × 75 ft, gravel ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 22; injuries: minor; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; seat: rear - Student pilot; age 52; injuries: serious; student; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; seat: front; flight hours: 40 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 10,000 ft broken - Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 50 °F - Altimeter: 29.67 inHg - Observed at: MRI, 10 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20060731014709A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060731014709A), Jul 31, 2006: Bbavia 8GCBC, Goose Bay, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) According to the instructor, the aircraft was turning from downwind to crosswind for a landing. The instructor pulled the power back to simulate an… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.