Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Palmer Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sutton, Alaska 99645
Monday, July 6, 2009 17:00 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The private pilot made a personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91 in mountainous terrain. He said that as the airplane passed near an area of steep terrain, he encountered a strong downdraft, and the airplane began to descend. He added full engine power to stop the descent, but the airplane continued to descend, and it impacted an area of down sloping tundra-covered terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. He characterized wind on the ground as light and variable, but reported encountering stronger winds just before the accident. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, and noted in his report to the NTSB that the accident might have been avoided if he had been flying at a higher altitude, which would have provided more altitude for a recovery.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane after an in-flight encounter with a downdraft in mountainous terrain, and his decision to fly at an altitude where such an encounter made a successful recovery unlikely.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/6/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1700 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Sutton |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99645 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 620117N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1480817W |
| Event Location Airport | Palmer Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PAAQ |
| 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 | 242 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 20 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| 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) | 26029 |
| NTSB Notification Source | ANC FAA, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 11 2009 5:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N29785 |
| NTSB Number | ANC09CA060 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BELLANCA |
| Aircraft Model | 8GCBC |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 355-80 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 17 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 24 |
| Airframe Hours | 1384 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BARICKMAN WILL D |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SUTTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99674-0175 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | BARICKMAN WILL D |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | SUTTON |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99674-0175 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | PAAQ |
| Departure City | Palmer |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | PAAQ |
| Destination City | Palmer |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 11 2009 5:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |