- Date
- August 25, 1993, 19:00 local (Aug 26, 1993, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Beaver Creek, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7637SBellanca 7GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19930825033709A
- Case key
- 2413
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 improper altitude flown by the pilot in command.
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 reported that while performing the second low pass over an area to check for a potential future landing site, he inadvertently allowed the airplane to contact the terrain. The airplane subsequently nosed over.
Factual narrative
On August 25, 1993, at 1900 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Bellanca 7GCBC airplane, N7637S, collided with the terrain and nosed over while making a low pass to evaluate a possible future landing area near Beaver Creek, located 56 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska. The private pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed Fairbanks at 1805, and was destined for the Beaver Creek area. Visual meteorological conditions existed, and no flight plan was filed.
Shortly after the accident, during a telephone conversation, the pilot stated the following in part: "I was planning to 'drag the area', or make several passes to see if it might be a suitable place at which to land for a future hunting trip. During the second pass the main wheels inadvertently touched down, and the airplane nosed over. The vertical stabilizer, rudder, and one wing strut were damaged."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7637S
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 927-76
- Airframe hours
- 1,485
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gossen, Christopher J.
- Registered owner
- Gossen, Christopher J.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 27, 1992 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- Fairbanks, AK
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 100 in this make and model · 170 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 80 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.