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ANC24LA086

2024-08-30 · Tok, Alaska, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N41WP

Make / Model
CESSNA 150H
Engine
CONT MOTOR 0-200 SERIES (100 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4D3C9

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The airplane’s encounter with gusting winds resulting in a loss of altitude with performance insufficient to outclimb terrain.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that, while flying in a valley, he realized that his airplane did not have the climb performance to clear an upcoming ridgeline. The pilot began a left turn to exit the valley in the direction he had entered. The pilot reported that, during the turn, he encountered a gust of wind that caused his left wing to drop and his rate of turn to increase. During the attempted recovery, the airplane lost altitude and impacted terrain which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Contributed to outcome
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Climb rate-Not attained/maintained

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_ANC24LA086.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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