- Date
- September 13, 1999, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Port Heiden, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3017GChampion 7ECA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19990913025359A
- Case key
- 47333
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.
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 private certificated pilot departed a beach next to the airport for a local flight. During the landing roll upon his return to the beach, he began a right turn to proceed uphill from the water. The main landing gear tires struck a clump of grass, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane received damage to the right wing spar, the windshield, and the vertical stabilizer.
Factual narrative
On September 13, 1999, about 1230 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Champion 7ECA airplane, N3017G, sustained substantial damage while landing on an area of beach at Port Heiden, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on September 13, 1999, the pilot reported he departed a beach next to the Port Heiden airport for a local flight. During the landing roll upon his return to the beach, he began a right turn to proceed uphill from the water. The main landing gear tires struck a clump of grass, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane received damage to the right wing spar, the windshield, and the vertical stabilizer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3017G
- Reported as
- Champion 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 511
- Airframe hours
- 1,258
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-CI, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John M. Holm
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 17, 1998 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- PAPH
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 224 total · 71 in this make and model · 29 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 59 °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 N3017G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.