Skip to content

Atlas / NTSB / ANC88FA021

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event ANC88FA021

1987-11-27 FAIRBANKS, Alaska, United States Airport · FAI Fatal 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

THE PILOT AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE RETURNING FROM A HUNTING TRIP WHEN THE AIRPLANE CRASHED 7 MILES FROM THE FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND IN A VERTICAL ATTITUDE AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE SUGGESTS THAT THE LEFT WHEEL PENETRATION SKI HAD DEFLECTED INFLIGHT JUST PRIOR TO THE CRASH. OTHER PILOTS WHO HAVE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF SKI REPORT THE DEFLECTION TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY A VIOLENT PITCH DOWN OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT HAD NOT COMPLIED WITH AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE DATED MAY 12, 1980, THAT THE SKIS BE MODIFIED TO PRECLUDE JUST SUCH AN OCCURRENCE. ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT HAD KNOWLEDGE OF, AND FAILED TO REMOVE, 3 TENT POLES WHICH HAD FALLEN BEHIND THE AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. ONE OF THESE POLES AND THE ELEVATOR BELLCRANK ASSEMBLY SHOWED SIGNS OF INTERFERRENCE THAT INDICATED CONTROL BINDING. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1987_ANC88FA021.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.