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ANC10CA096

2010-09-08 · Chicken, Alaska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport PFTO

Current FAA registration · N83395

Make / Model
PIPER PA-18-150
Year of manufacture
1976 · 34 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19760706
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AB6730

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's decision to fly at a low altitude in terrain and weather conditions conducive to turbulence and downdrafts.

Factual narrative

The private pilot reported he and the sole passenger were on a personal Title 14 CFR Part 91 flight en route to a hunting site. While maneuvering at a low altitude to assess weather conditions and determine the viability of flying through a pass, he said he encountered turbulence and a strong downdraft. He immediately added engine power to climb, but the downdraft pushed the airplane below the tops of tall Spruce trees. The pilot said he was unable to avoid the trees, and struck trees with the right wing and then the nose of the airplane. The airplane continued to fly, and he was able to return to his home airport, where the right main landing gear collapsed on landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right horizontal stabilizer. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane. The private pilot reported he and the sole passenger were on a personal Title 14 CFR Part 91 flight en route to a hunting site. While maneuvering at a low altitude to assess weather conditions and determine the viability of flying through a pass, he said he encountered turbulence and a strong downdraft. He immediately added engine power to climb, but the downdraft pushed the airplane below the tops of tall Spruce trees. The pilot said he was unable to avoid the trees, and struck trees with the right wing and then the nose of the airplane. The airplane continued to fly, and he was able to return to his home airport, where the right main landing gear collapsed on landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right horizontal stabilizer. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Aircraft capability-Climb capability-Capability exceeded
  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Turbulence-Terrain induced turbulence-Contributed to outcome
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Downdraft-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2010_ANC10CA096.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

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Related research

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