Cessna 175 accident near Ambler, Alaska, September 16, 2014
On September 16, 2014 at about 6:15 pm local time, a 1959 Cessna 175, registered N6589E, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Ambler, 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 decision to takeoff from a rough airstrip in gusty wind conditions, which resulted in a loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2014 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Ambler, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 UNDESIGNAT, built 1959 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N6589E · no longer on the register · serial 56081
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was departing from a remote off-airport site in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The pilot reported that just after takeoff, as the airplane remained in ground effect, a crosswind pushed the airplane over the edge of a hill where the wind direction changed, and it subsequently settled back to the ground and collided with terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right wings, horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Decision related to condition
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 340 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 33.2 in the last 30 days; 255 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 2, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,821 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 7, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor GO-300 SERIES (piston); 3,188 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Ambler AK
- Destination: OTZ Kotzebue AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,800 ft; scat at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.59 inHg
- Observation at 6:16 pm from PAFM, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on November 24, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.