- Date
- August 17, 2011, 18:00 local (Aug 18, 2011, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tyonek, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7763KPiper PA-20
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 27, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration – Operations
- FAA report
- 20110817018139A
- Case key
- 81539
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 student pilot’s decision to take off toward a hill with a gusting tailwind. Contributing was the pilot's premature rotation that prevented the airplane from climbing over the hill.
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 student pilot reported that he was departing from a remote off-airport site, downhill and with a light and variable tailwind. Because the airplane was gettig closer to a hill at the end of the runway, the pilot said he pulled back on the elevators too soon to fly. Shortly after takeoff, he said that a tailwind gust kept the airplane from climbing, and the main landing gear wheels struck a hill at the departure end of the site. The airplane subsequently nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The student pilot reported no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The student pilot, with one passenger, reported he was departing from a remote off-airport site, downhill, and with a light and variable tailwind. Just after takeoff, he said that a tailwind gust kept the airplane from climbing, and the main landing gear wheels struck a hill at the departure end of the site. The airplane subsequently nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The student pilot reported no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7763K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20-586
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Randy F. Stahl
- Registered owner
- Randy F. Stahl
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Tyonek, AK
- Destination
- Soldotna, 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
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft broken
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 10, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 583 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.
Other investigations on N7763K · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.