- Date
- July 3, 2025, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK · LAAD airfield
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N690AXRockwell International 690B
- Defining event
- Takeoff: 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
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20250703008009A
- Case key
- 200483
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 control during takeoff resulting in a gear-up landing on the runway. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s momentary distraction from within the airplane.
Findings · 5
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 operator reported that the pilot taxied out on to the runway, and upon receiving a takeoff clearance, began the takeoff roll. As the airplane rotated and began to climb, the pilot retracted the landing gear, subsequently, a gallon jug of water slid to the back of the airplane and impacted the aft cabin bulkhead, making a loud “bang” sound. The pilot looked back towards the noise to assess the nature of the sound and inadvertently allowed the airplane to descend and contact the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N690AX
- Reported as
- Rockwell International 690B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11384
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 13,350
- Engines
- Honeywell TPE-331-512k, 717 horsepower, turbo propHoneywell TPE-331-512k, 717 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 135
- Operator
- Clearwater Air Inc
- Registered owner
- Clearwater Air Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 28, 2025 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- FBK · Fairbanks, AK
- Airport
- FBK · Ladd Army Airfield, runway 25, 8,575 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Satellite tracking device, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 19, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 9,200 total · 300 in this make and model · 9,200 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFB
- METAR
- PAFB 032255Z 06003KT 8SM FU FEW085 BKN200 27/07 A2985 RMK AO2A VIS E-SE 3 SLP112 FU VC ALQDS T02730072 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 21, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 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.