- Date
- May 29, 2020, 18:30 local (May 30, 2020, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK · not exact, pilot did not provide location gps
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8769TCessna 182
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20200529007199I
- Case key
- 101375
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 a proper descent rate during landing in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing.
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, while landing into the wind at a remote airstrip, as the airplane descended below the tree line, the airplane experienced “wind shear or turbulence” and the headwind diminished. The airplane lost aerodynamic lift, descended rapidly to the ground, and subsequently landed hard. The engine firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot also reported that the winds in the area were 25 knots gusting to 30 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8769T
- Reported as
- Cessna 182 (C)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 52669
- Built
- 1960
- Engine
- Continental O-470, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PAGQ · Big Lake, AK
- Destination
- none · 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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 2, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 310 total · 300 in this make and model · 295 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- PANC
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 3, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.3 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.