Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Chickaloon, Alaska 99674
Tuesady, August 1, 1995 11:45 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND A PASSENGER WERE SCOUTING FOR SHEEP IN A REMOTE MOUNTAINOUS AREA AT 5,500 FEET. THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A DOWNDRAFT AND BEGAN LOSING ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED. THE PILOT BEGAN A TURN AT FULL POWER, BUT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DESCEND UNTIL IT CONTACTED THE GROUND. DURING IMPACT, THE LEFT WINGTIP STRUCK THE GROUND, AND THE AIRPLANE CARTWHEELED DOWNSLOPE AND CAME TO REST AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 4,800 FEET. PERFORMANCE CHARTS FOR THE AIRPLANE INDICATED THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF A 350 FOOT PER MINUTE CLIMB. THE PILOT REPORTED SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AREA.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S INADVERTENT ENCOUNTER WITH ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE/CLEARANCE FROM THE TERRAIN TO COMPENSATE FOR SUCH CONDITIONS. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DOWNDRAFTS, THE PROXIMITY OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, AND THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/1/1995
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1145
Event Time Zone --
Event City CHICKALOON
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99674
Event Date Year 1995
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 7500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 10
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 135
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 15
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 20
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1215
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 1 1995 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2205
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 7 2000 4:29PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N345RB
NTSB Number ANC95LA124
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 172A
Aircraft Series Identifier 172A
Aircraft Serial Number 47512
Certified Max Gross Weight 2220
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jul 31 1995 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 3
Airframe Hours 2576
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHARLES E. SPENCER
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 871350
Aircraft Owner City WASILLA
Aircraft Owner State AK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99687
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 5L6
Departure City WASILLA
Departure State AK
Departure Country
Departure Time 1042
Departure Time Zone ADT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:34AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --