NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ANC23LA050
Registry · N460JC
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC A-1B
Year of manufacture
2006 · 17 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING O-360-A1P (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20060328
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A59A66
Registrant of record
COPPER RIVER AIRMOTIVE LLC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The airplane’s encounter with downdrafts resulting in decreased performance insufficient to outclimb rising terrain.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported he encountered downdrafts during landing on a remote gravel airstrip near a glacial base camp known for downdrafts and mountain rotors. He elected to depart the airstrip into rising terrain due to more favorable winds. During initial climb out the pilot reported the airplane encountered more downdrafts than expected. Unable to outclimb rising terrain, the pilot performed a forced landing in an area of rough, rock-covered terrain, and during landing the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
- — Personnel issues-Task performance-Planning/preparation-Flight planning/navigation-Pilot
- — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Climb rate-Not attained/maintained
- — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Downdraft-Contributed to outcome
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2023_ANC23LA050.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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