- Date
- June 4, 2017, 08:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Soldotna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N82639Aeronca 7AC
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Abrupt maneuver
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 22, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170604017829A
- Case key
- 95489
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 abrupt maneuver to avoid a moose cow and calf during taxi, which resulted in an impact with a tree.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, after landing on a gravel airstrip, during the taxi, a moose cow and calf ran onto the airstrip, moving from the pilot's right to left. She added that she veered to the left to avoid the animals and the airplane struck a tree. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that after landing on a gravel airstrip, during the taxi, a moose cow and calf ran onto the airstrip, moving from the pilot's right to left. She added that she veered to the left to avoid the animals and the airplane struck a tree. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N82639
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-1281
- Built
- 1946
- Engine
- Cont Motor A&C65 SERIES, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2017
- Departed
- AK73 · Nikishka, AK
- Destination
- Soldotna, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Equipment
- None
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 30, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 756 total · 542 in this make and model · 706 as pilot in command · 65 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- PASX, 3 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 29, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.