- Date
- May 28, 2011, 17:00 local (May 29, 2011, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chickaloon, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N89424Cessna 140
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20110528012329A
- Case key
- 79265
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 improper decision to take off downwind from unsuitable terrain.
Findings · 4
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 departed from a short, rough field. He said he elected to depart with a tailwind due to the slope of the takeoff area. About 100 feet above the ground, the airplane encountered a stronger tailwind, and stopped climbing. The pilot did not turn away from the rising terrain because he thought the airplane would stall. The airplane was unable to out-climb the rising terrain, and impacted trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was departing from a short, rough, field. He said he elected to depart with a tailwind due to the slope of the takeoff area. About 100 feet above the ground, the airplane encountered a stronger tailwind, and stopped climbing. The pilot did not turn away from the rising terrain because he thought the airplane would stall. The airplane was unable to out-climb the rising terrain, and impacted trees. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N89424
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 8456
- Airframe hours
- 4,027
- Engine
- Cont Motor C85 SERIES, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bryan K Holland
- Registered owner
- Bryan K Holland
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2009
- Departed
- PASP · Chickaloon, AK
- Destination
- AK88 · Sterling, AK
- Airport
- PASP · Sheep Mountain, runway 05, 2,270 × 10 ft, 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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 363 total · 15 in this make and model · 320 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 10 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 30, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 152 KB 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.