Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Shotgun Hills, Alaska
Saturday, September 30, 1989 13:00 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE EXPERIENCED COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF FROM A MOUNTAIN LAKE WITH TWO HUNTERS ABOARD. WIND CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE ESTIMATED AS GUSTING TO 45 KNOTS. SHORTLY AFTER LIFT OFF THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED A STRONG DOWNDRAFT. HE SAID THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OR ALTITUDE, AND SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED ABOUT 200' FROM THE SHORELINE. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE ACCIDENT HAD HE ELECTED TO STAY ON THE LAKE UNTIL THE WIND HAD SUBSIDED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY EVALUATE THE EXISTING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S OVERCONFIDENCE IN BOTH PERSONAL ABILITY AND THE ABILITY OF THE AIRCRAFT ALONG WITH THE DOWNDRAFT CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/30/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1300 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | SHOTGUN HILLS |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| 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 | 2300 |
| 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) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 35 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 45 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1269 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 1 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 922 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 39565 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 1:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9706H |
| NTSB Number | ANC89LA178 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 185 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 185 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18503463 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3350 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 9 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 128 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GUNDER, DENNIS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 641 |
| Aircraft Owner City | BETHEL |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99559 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | GUNDER, DENNIS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | BETHEL |
| Operator State | AK |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1300 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BET |
| Destination City | BETHEL |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |