- Date
- October 4, 2007, 14:50 local (22:50 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N739Aviat A1B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- US Department of Interior
- FAA report
- 20071004825159A
- Case key
- 66960
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 flight instructor's failure to maintain clearance from high vegetation during the off-airport landing.
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 flight instructor/mentor pilot for a federal agency was demonstrating off-airport landing techniques to a commercial federal pilot at a remote off-airport site during a public use training flight. The flight instructor was flying the airplane, and was attempting to do a touch and go landing on a gravel bar when the left wing struck a clump of vegetation. The flight instructor completed the touch and go, and returned the airplane to its base, where it was found that a wing rib would have to be replaced. The operator noted that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On October 4, 2007, about 1450 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Aviat A1B (Husky) airplane, N739, operated by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a public use training flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, sustained substantial damage during an off-airport landing, about 17 miles southeast of Palmer, Alaska. The airline transport pilot/flight instructor and the commercial pilot/student were not injured. The local flight departed the Lake Hood airstrip, Anchorage, Alaska, about 1400. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company VFR flight plan was in effect.
According to interviews with air safety investigators for the operator, and the pilot's and operator's written statements, the purpose of the flight was for the pilot to evaluate and provide instruction to the commercial pilot on off-airport landings. During the accident landing, the flight instructor pilot, who was seated in the rear tandem seat, was demonstrating a touch and go landing to the commercial pilot when the left wing struck a clump of small trees/tall vegetation, and yawed to the left. The flight instructor was able to continue the touch and go, and successfully flew the airplane to Anchorage, where it was determined that the left wing required a rib to be replaced.
The operator's aviation mechanics and air safety investigators, noted that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N739
- Reported as
- Aviat A1B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2226
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360A1P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Registered owner
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2007 · 91 hours before
- Departed
- Z41 · Anchorage, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2007
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.65 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.