- Date
- April 9, 1991, 14:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Kahiltna Glac., AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3436EAeronca 11AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910409009489A
- Case key
- 5537
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
A downdraft and the pilot's inadequate remedial action.
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 pilot stated that while cruising at about 100 to 150 feet AGL coming out of a mountain bowl, he encountered a severe downdraft. He added full power, which did not arrest the descent, before the airplane crashed. He further stated that the air had been calm when he flew.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3436E
- Reported as
- Aeronca 11AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11AC-1748
- Airframe hours
- 4,159
- Engine
- Continental C-90-8-F, 95 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- William J. Fitzgerald
- Registered owner
- William J. Fitzgerald
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 28, 1990 · 67 hours before
- Departed
- AK44 · Talkeetna, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 720 total · 660 in this make and model · 679 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.