- Date
- January 13, 1997, 15:25 local (19:25 UTC)
- Place
- Gustavus, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2400NCessna 140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19970113003649A
- Case key
- 2960
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for landing. The soft terrain 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 was planning to land at a remote airport. Areas of low ground fog moved into the airport environment. The pilot decided to land on an adjacent beach area until the fog dissipated. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered an area of soft terrain and nosed over. The airplane received damage to a wing lift strut and the rudder cap.
Factual narrative
On January 13, 1997, about 1525 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped, Cessna 140, N2400N, crashed during landing on a beach adjacent to the Gustavus Airport, Gustavus, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Juneau Airport, Juneau, Alaska, about 1440.
In a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on January 16, 1997, at 1215, the pilot reported he intended to land at the Gustavus airport. Areas of low ground fog moved into the airport environment. He decided to land on an adjacent beach area until the fog dissipated. The pilot landed on the beach toward the northwest. During the landing roll, the airplane encountered an area of soft terrain and the airplane nosed over. The airplane received damage to a wing lift strut and the rudder cap.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2400N
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12649
- Airframe hours
- 2,361
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Christopher E. Smith
- Registered owner
- Susan Brook
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 13, 1996 · 97 hours before
- Departed
- JNU · Juneau, 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
- 43
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,730 total · 330 in this make and model · 1,600 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.