- Date
- September 13, 2011, 21:30 local (Sep 14, 2011, 05:30 UTC)
- Place
- McGrath, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7814ACessna 180A
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-03
- FAA report
- 20110913022339A
- Case key
- 81753
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 loss of control when encountering a downdraft during the initial climb after takeoff, resulting in a collision with terrain.
Findings · 3
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 reported that he was taking off from a sandbar when the airplane encountered a downdraft. The left landing gear subsequently struck the riverbank and was sheared off. The left wing then contacted the ground and the airplane slid to a stop on its fuselage, receiving substantial damage to the left wing, fuselage and tail section.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported he was taking off from a sandbar when the airplane encountered a downdraft. The left landing gear subsequently struck the riverbank, and was sheared off. The left wing then contacted the ground, and the airplane slid to a stop on its fuselage, receiving substantial damage to the left wing, fuselage and tail section.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7814A
- Reported as
- Cessna 180A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32711
- Airframe hours
- 6,513
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jurenka Terry
- Registered owner
- Jurenka Terry
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 27, 2011
- Departed
- McGrath, AK
- Destination
- MRI · Anchorage, 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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 11, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,774 total · 1,489 in this make and model · 1,774 as pilot in command · 112 in the last 90 days · 46 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 3, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 146 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 N7814A · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.