On June 11, 1995, a Christen Industries A-1 (registration N9622V) was involved in an aviation accident near Tyonek, AK. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate control during landing on uneven terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot landing on a sandbar encountered a significant depression during the rollout, resulting in substantial damage as the aircraft could not stop or take off.
What happened
The pilot was conducting a landing operation on a sandbar situated near the mouth of a river. During the landing roll, he observed a significant depression in the surface of the sandbar. The aircraft was traveling at a speed that made it impossible to stop before reaching the rough terrain, yet it was also moving too slowly to successfully attempt a takeoff to avoid the obstacle.
The investigation
Upon encountering the depression and rough terrain, the airplane sustained substantial damage. No further mechanical examination details were provided in the source report.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate control during landing on uneven terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft.