- Date
- June 24, 2022, 11:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3085GChampion 7GCBC
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- 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
- 20220624011029A
- Case key
- 105393
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 inadequate compensation for the gusting wind conditions with resulted in a loss of control and impact 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, following a bounced three-point landing at a remote unimproved airstrip, a gust of wind pushed the airplane toward terrain. He elected to conduct a go-around while maneuvering around various obstacles. The airplane subsequently settled to the ground and impacted a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation and that the accident may have been prevented if he had conducted a low approach before attempting to land followed by a wheel landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3085G
- Reported as
- Champion 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 91
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 1,729
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ronsman Harry M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 5, 2022
- Departed
- 51AK · Talkeetna, AK
- Destination
- PAUO · Willow, AK
- Airport
- PVT · Private
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 2, 2021
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 20,000 total · 550 in this make and model · 15,000 as pilot in command · 91 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- PAAQ, 33 nm away
- METAR
- PAAQ 241953Z 20006KT 10SM FU CLR 21/11 A3031 RMK AO2 SLP264 T02060111
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 7, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 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.
Other investigations on N3085G · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.