ANC97LA101

NTSB accident investigation · Boeing D75N1 · Eagle, AK · July 11, 1997

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
July 10, 1997, 19:30 local (Jul 11, 1997, 03:30 UTC)
Place
Eagle, AK
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N60821Boeing D75N1
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report May 4, 1998
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
FAA report
19970711018199A
Case key
3024

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing and his inadequate in-flight planning/decision making during an aborted landing.

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.

In flight collision with objectLanding - aborted
Object - tree(s)
Recovery from bounced landing - inadequatePilot in commandCause
Object - wire,transmission
In-flight planning/decision - inadequatePilot in commandCause

Analysis

The pilot was landing in an uphill direction on a small grass airstrip. The airstrip, located about 880 feet mean sea level, was 1,200 feet long, and about 80 feet wide. The pilot reported he bounced the airplane during the initial touchdown. He applied full power to abort the landing. The pilot began a left turn but the airplane did not climb above tall trees surrounding the airport. The airplane began colliding with several trees about 50 feet above the ground, about 1/8 mile from the runway. The airplane then collided with power lines adjacent to a road, and then continued into numerous trees. The airplane's wings were torn off the fuselage. The airplane received additional damage to the fuselage and tail assembly. The pilot reported the weather conditions at the time of the accident included calm winds, with a temperature of about 80 degrees F.

Factual narrative

On July 10, 1997, about 1930 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Boeing D-75N1 airplane, N60821, collided with several trees during a go-around at Eagle, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, was destroyed. The certificated private pilot and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated from Eagle about 1915.

On July 11, 1997, at 1515, the pilot reported in a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), he was giving a ride to the passenger around the local area. The pilot departed a small grass airstrip located near the town. The airstrip is oriented in a north/south direction, about 880 feet mean sea level. It is about 1,200 feet long, and about 80 feet wide. The pilot indicated he planned to land toward the south. In that direction, the runway sloped slightly uphill. The pilot reported he bounced the airplane during the initial touchdown. He applied full power and began a go-around. The pilot began a left turn but the airplane did not climb above tall trees surrounding the airport. The airplane began colliding with several trees about 50 feet above the ground, about 1/8 mile from the runway. The airplane then collided with power lines adjacent to a road, and then continued into numerous trees. The airplane's wings were torn off the fuselage. The airplane received additional damage to the fuselage and tail assembly.

The pilot reported the weather conditions at the time of the accident included calm winds, with a temperature of about 80 degrees F.

Aircraft

Registration
N60821
Reported as
Boeing D75N1
Category
Airplane
Serial number
75-4058
Airframe hours
3,211
Engine
Continental W670-6A, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Christopher A. Kinter
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · June 5, 1997 · 29 hours before
Airport
Eagle, runway 18, 1,200 × 80 ft, grass/turf

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
47
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Rear
Flight hours
3,000 total · 116 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
81 °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.