American Champion Aircraft 8GCBC accident near Unalakleet, Alaska, September 5, 2025
On September 5, 2025 at about 5:31 am local time, a 2011 American Champion Aircraft 8GCBC, registered N242BC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Unalakleet, Alaska (Remote Strip airport). 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 pilots encounter with an obstructed dip in the landing surface during the landing roll out on a remote airstrip, which resulted in a noseover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 2025 · about 5:31 am local time · cases in 2025
- Place
- Unalakleet, Alaska · Remote Strip · 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, built 2011 · all 8GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N242BC · registry record · serial 534-2010
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot landed a tailwheel equipped airplane on a remote airstrip. During the landing rollout, while reducing engine power and holding the control stick fully aft, the airplane encountered an obstructed dip in the airstrip surface. As the airplane rolled through the dip, the pilot was unable to arrest the resulting nose down pitch. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted, sustaining substantial damage to the rudder and left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Hidden/submerged object › Effect on operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,913 hours in all; 399 in this make and model; 179 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days; 4,856 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 26, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,079.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 9, 2024; 91 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C1G (piston); 1,171 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAUN Unalakleet AK at 5:00 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from AUN, 66 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAUN 050456Z AUTO 24010KT 10SM OVC017 09/07 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP138 T00940072
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
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
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 22, 2026. 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 | Photos | 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.
Other NTSB records under N242BC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N242BC on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- American Champion Aircraft 8 Decathlon and Scout 674 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- American Champion Aircraft 1,103 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C1G 141 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Unalakleet Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 826 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,143 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N242BC 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC25LA102.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.