Incident Details
On November 6, 2009, at approximately 1515 Alaska standard time, a Champion 7GCBC airplane sustained substantial damage during an uncontrolled descent and subsequent impact with terrain. The accident occurred about 55 miles northwest of Kenai, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by a private pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91. The pilot and sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight had departed from a private airstrip near Soldotna, Alaska, at about 1130.
Pilot's Account
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge on November 9, the pilot stated that he and his passenger had flown to the area west of Kenai to look for trapping locations for the upcoming season. He reported cruising west at about 1,000 feet above ground level into a strong headwind, with his global positioning system indicating a ground speed of 60 knots. After making a 180-degree turn to the east, the ground speed increased to 128 knots. The pilot said he then turned to the north and encountered a crosswind that rolled the airplane inverted. He was able to right the airplane, but a second crosswind rolled it inverted again. As he righted the airplane once more, a downdraft pushed it into the treetops. The right wing struck Alder trees, and the airplane subsequently struck the ground. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.
Weather Information
The pilot reported receiving a preflight weather briefing from Kenai Flight Service, noting light winds in the departure area. He indicated no turbulence while crossing Cook Inlet but observed dust blowing up from riverbeds near the mountains to the north and west. The closest weather reporting station to the accident site, the automated weather station at Big River Lakes, Alaska, located 10 miles west of the site, reported at 2350 UTC: wind from 270 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 30 knots.
Post-Accident Actions
The pilot did not submit an NTSB accident report as requested.