American Champion Aircraft 8GCBC accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, August 20, 2010
On August 20, 2010 at about 10:30 pm local time, a American Champion Aircraft 8GCBC, registered N63AK, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Talkeetna, 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 failure to maintain aircraft control during an off airport landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2010 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- American Champion Aircraft 8GCBC · all 8GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N63AK · registry record · serial 467-2005
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing on an off-airport mountain ridge in a single-engine tailwheel-equipped airplane for the purpose of hunting. After touchdown and while rolling out, the airplane bounced and became airborne again. The pilot applied full engine throttle to abort the landing, but once clear of the ridge the airplane began to settle. Moments later the left wheel and left wingtip came in contact with sloping terrain, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot, the sole occupant, was able to exit unassisted. Both of the airplane’s wings sustained structural damage during the mishap. The pilot later reported that he had not experienced a malfunction or failure with the airplane’s flight controls or engine.
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
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 496 hours in all; 190 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 433 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 12, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 196 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 18, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAWS Wasilla AK at 4:30 pm
- Destination: Talkeetna AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 4:30 pm from PATK, 35 miles away
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.