- Date
- May 25, 1990, 18:30 local (May 26, 1990, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Beluga River, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N55ADInterstate S1B1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900525018259A
- Case key
- 5373
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot selected unsuitable terrain. Contributing factors were the soft terrain and the pilot's lack of experience in off-airport operations.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was making his second landing at a sandbar during a fishing trip. He said that he was seeking a better landing site prior to bringing another passenger to the sandbar. During the landing roll the main landing gear encountered a soft spot and the airplane nosed over.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55AD
- Reported as
- Interstate S1B1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1006
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ferguson, James L
- Registered owner
- Ferguson, James L
- Airport
- NONE
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
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 152 total · 79 in this make and model · 152 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 27 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point -0 °F
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 N55AD · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.