Champion 7KCAB accident near Montague Island, Alaska, October 8, 1989
On October 8, 1989 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Champion 7KCAB, registered N5222X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Montague Island, 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
SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN BY THE PILOT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: ROUGH TERRAIN, GUSTY WINDS, HIGH VEGETATION, AND TREES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 1989 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Montague Island, Alaska
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7KCAB · all 7KCABs on the register
- Registration
- N5222X · no longer on the register · serial 223
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THAT HE WAS LANDING ON AN UNIMPROVED/ROUGH SANDBAR WHEN THE ACDNT OCCURRED. HE STATED THAT AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT HAD TRAVELED ABOUT 50 FT, WHEN ROUGH TERRAIN & A SLIGHT GUST OF WIND CAUSED IT TO BOUNCE SIDEWAYS. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE RIGHT WINGTIP HIT SMALL BUSHES, WHICH YAWED THE ACFT TO THE RIGHT. IT THEN VEERED INTO ALDERS & SMALL TREES. THE PLT ESTIMATED THE WIND WAS FROM 010 DEG AT 10 GUSTING 15 KTS.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 624 hours in all; 624 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 583 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 28, 1989; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Anchorage AK at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.