Aeronca 15AC accident near Kotzebue, Alaska, September 7, 2009
On September 7, 2009 at about 2:00 am local time, a Aeronca 15AC, registered N1187H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Kotzebue, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delay in aborting the off-airport landing resulting in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 7, 2009 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Kotzebue, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 15AC · all 15ACs on the register
- Registration
- N1187H · no longer on the register · serial 15AC-200
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot was on a Title 14, CFR Part 91, personal flight which included taking off and landing at an off-airport site. In a written statement to the NTSB, the pilot reported that when the airplane touched down at the off-airport site, it bounced about 8 feet, and touched down again. He said with maximum braking he did not think he could stop the airplane in the landing area, and he added power to abort the landing. He reported that as the airplane became airborne, he encountered a downdraft, and the airplane collided with terrain. He said he should have aborted the landing sooner. He noted there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The airplane received substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 6,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 24, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,709 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 10, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C145 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Kotzebue AK at 5:45 pm
- Destination: Kotzebue AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.