Champion 7GCBC N5268X

Summary

On 6 November 2009 at about 19:15 local time, a Champion 7GCBC registered N5268X, operated by Dilley Joseph Campbell, was involved in an accident near Kenai, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 November 2009 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Kenai, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

60.7833, -152.1333

Aircraft

Champion 7GCBC

Registration

N5268X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Dilley Joseph Campbell

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Soldotna → Soldotna

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC10LA006

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's decision to fly at a low altitude in strong winds and turbulence, resulting in a loss of control and a collision with terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot with one passenger was on a personal local flight when the accident occurred. The pilot said that he was looking for areas to trap during the coming season. He was cruising west, about 1,000 feet above ground level into a strong headwind, and his global positioning system showed a ground speed of 60 knots. He then made a 180-degree turn to the east and was indicating a ground speed of 128 knots. The pilot said that as he turned to the north he encountered a crosswind that rolled the airplane inverted. He then righted the airplane, but the crosswind rolled the airplane inverted a second time. As the pilot righted the airplane again, a downdraft pushed it into the treetops. He said that there were no preexisting mechanical problems with the airplane but that the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage during the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.