- Date
- March 23, 1992, 16:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Port Alsworth, AK
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1469HAeronca 15AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920323007379A
- Case key
- 5703
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 inadvertently conducted VFR flight into IMC conditions. Contributing factors were low ceilings, snow, rain, icing conditions, and whiteout conditions.
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 and passenger stated that as they were about to cross a 3,000 foot high pass, they encountered lowering visibility due to rain, snow, whiteout conditions, and ice on the airplane windshield. The pilot started a 180 degree turn during which the airplane collided with the mountainside.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1469H
- Reported as
- Aeronca 15AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15AC-539
- Airframe hours
- 1,838
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Charles M. Lee
- Registered owner
- Charles M. Lee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 21, 1991 · 28 hours before
- Destination
- ENA · Kenai, AK
- Flight plan
- 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 493 total · 196 in this make and model · 367 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 32 °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 N1469H · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.