- Date
- July 6, 1989, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Killey River, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N88273Bellanca 7GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 2, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890706020249A
- Case key
- 5219
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 failed to assure sufficient alt was obtained to compensate for the downdrafts near the ridge line.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The plt was flying at an alt of 50-75 feet AGL spotting bear when the accident occurred. The flt was traveling toward a ridge line and the plt reported a downdraft from the ridge caused the acft to lose alt. The plt attempted to recover with full pwr; however, the acft stalled at an alt of 10 ft AGL and descended to impact with the terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N88273
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75574
- Airframe hours
- 1,060
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thomas D. Dunn
- Registered owner
- Thomas D Dunn
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 697 total · 624 in this make and model · 697 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.