- Date
- August 20, 2010, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N63AKAmerican Champion 8GCBC
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100820044619A
- Case key
- 77071
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 aircraft control during an off airport landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was landing on an off-airport mountain ridge in a single-engine tailwheel-equipped airplane for the purpose of hunting. After touchdown and while rolling out, the airplane bounced and became airborne again. The pilot applied full engine throttle to abort the landing, but once clear of the ridge the airplane began to settle. Moments later the left wheel and left wingtip came in contact with sloping terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot, the sole occupant, was able to exit unassisted. Both of the airplane’s wings sustained structural damage during the mishap. The pilot later reported that he had not experienced a malfunction or failure with the airplane’s flight controls or engine.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing on an off-airport mountain ridge in a single-engine tailwheel-equipped airplane for the purpose of hunting. After touchdown and while rolling out, the airplane bounced and became airborne again. The pilot applied full engine throttle to abort the landing, but once clear of the ridge the airplane began to settle. Moments later the left wheel and left wingtip came in contact with sloping terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot, the sole occupant, was able to exit unassisted. Both of the airplane’s wings sustained structural damage during the mishap. The pilot later reported that he had not experienced a malfunction or failure with the airplane’s flight controls or engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N63AK
- Reported as
- American Champion 8GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 467-2005
- Airframe hours
- 196
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Johannes Scott A
- Registered owner
- Johannes Scott A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 18, 2010
- Departed
- PAWS · Wasilla, AK
- Destination
- Talkeetna, 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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 12, 2009
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 496 total · 190 in this make and model · 433 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- PATK, 35 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 9, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.