Aviat Aircraft INC A-1B accident near Chisana, Alaska, August 2, 2025
On August 2, 2025 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 2006 Aviat Aircraft INC A-1B, registered N900HY, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Chisana, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 clearance from terrain while maneuvering at low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2025 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chisana, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat Aircraft INC A-1B, built 2006 · all A-1Bs on the register
- Registration
- N900HY · registry record · serial 2362
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was flying low-level over various remote gravel bars looking for a suitable one to land on. During a low pass over a gravel bar, the airplane’s tailwheel impacted an area of rough, uneven terrain, which pivoted the nose of the airplane down, resulting in a hard, inadvertent landing. The main landing gear wheels subsequently impacted a 3 ft high gravel berm, and the main landing gear collapsed resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing lift struts. A postaccident examination of the landing gear by the NTSB investigator-in-charge revealed all fractures in the landing gear were from overload forces from the hard landing.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Situational awareness › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Personality/attitude › Self confidence › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › (general) › Capability exceeded
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 128 hours in all; 52 in this make and model
- Last flight review: February 8, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1D6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6k8 Tok AK at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from AOR, 41 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAOR 021853Z VRB03KT 10SM SCT050 SCT080 17/10 A3008 RMK AO2 SLP186 T01720100 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – View of accident airplane at accident site
Photograph 2 – View of landing gear. Bungees still attached, fractures from overload from hard landing.The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 23, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Landing Gear Inspection | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photograghs | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | 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.