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ANC06CA088

2006-07-11 · Fairbanks, Alaska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's inadequate weather evaluation, which resulted in the airplane encountering a severe downdraft during takeoff initial climb, and an in-flight collision with terrain. Factors associated with the accident were a thunderstorm and a downdraft.

Factual narrative

The airline transport certificated pilot reported he was attempting to takeoff from a slough with a float-equipped airplane on a Title 14, CFR Part 135 on-demand air taxi flight. He stated he aborted the first takeoff attempt due to shifting winds created by local thunderstorms, and elected to takeoff in the opposite direction. Shortly after liftoff, the pilot reported the airplane encountered a severe downdraft, and descended onto the tundra, striking Alder and Willow bushes. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and wing lift struts. The airline transport certificated pilot reported that he was attempting to takeoff from a slough with a float-equipped airplane on a Title 14, CFR Part 135 on-demand air taxi flight. He stated that he aborted the first takeoff attempt due to shifting winds created by local thunderstorms, and elected to takeoff in the opposite direction. Shortly after liftoff, the pilot reported that the airplane encountered a severe downdraft, and descended onto the tundra, striking Alder and Willow bushes. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and wing lift struts. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2006_ANC06CA088.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (thunderstorm). All research papers