- Date
- August 17, 1996, 21:15 local (Aug 18, 1996, 05:15 UTC)
- Place
- Kenai, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5267XChampion 7GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19960817023139A
- Case key
- 2884
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's delayed in initiating a go-around, and his failure to maintain clearance from trees. The high/fast approach for landing was a related factor.
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 were landing in a remote area near a campsite in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The landing area was 800 feet long and surrounded by trees. The pilot's landing approach was high and fast. About half-way down the landing area, the pilot executed a go-around and added full power, but the airplane collided with trees about 30 feet above the ground.
Factual narrative
On August 17, 1996, about 2115 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Champion 7GCBC, N5267X, collided with a tree during a go-around at a remote strip, about 33 miles west of Kenai, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot, and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Kenai Municipal airport at 2045.
The pilot reported that he was intending to land in the area of Big River Lakes. The landing area was about 800 feet long and was oriented north and south. During the landing approach to the north, the pilot indicated his landing approach was too fast and too high. He decided to execute a go-around about half-way down the landing area. The pilot added full power but the airplane collided with trees about 30 feet above the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5267X
- Reported as
- Champion 7GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 192
- Airframe hours
- 2,053
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William D. Furlong
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 4, 1995 · 105 hours before
- Departed
- ENA · 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 534 total · 480 in this make and model · 492 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5267X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.