| Crash location | 61.583333°N, 149.092500°W |
| Nearest city | Palmer, AK
61.599722°N, 149.112778°W 1.3 miles away |
| Tail number | N5189X |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 19 Aug 2001 |
| Aircraft type | Champion 7ECA |
| Additional details: | None |
On August 19, 2001, about 1630 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Champion 7ECA airplane, N5189X, sustained substantial damage during takeoff from an off airport site located about 10 miles north of Palmer, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The certificated private pilot received serious injuries, and the one passenger was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local area flight originated at the Merrill Field Airport, Anchorage, Alaska.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on August 27, the pilot related that the purpose of the flight was to show a friend some Alaskan scenery within an area of mountainous terrain. He said that as the flight progressed, he entered a small valley that he thought would lead into a larger valley. He said that once he entered the valley, the terrain began rising, so he initiated a climb. He added that the valley became too narrow to turn around and the terrain continued to rise, and his airspeed was decreasing. He said that he was able to make a forced landing, uphill, on an area of rough, uneven terrain. He added that after landing, he and his passenger were eventually able to turn the airplane around, facing downhill, in preparation for a takeoff attempt. The pilot said that during the downhill takeoff run, the airplane's main wheels struck a series of large bumps. The pilot said, in part: "...when we hit the bumps, just before takeoff, I accidentally closed the throttle, just as we just fell over a fifty feet cliff." The airplane continued to fall, collided with the valley floor, and sustained substantial damage.
The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable takeoff area. A factor associated with the accident was rough/uneven terrain.