Champion 7GCBC accident near Big Lake, Alaska, September 2, 1995
On September 2, 1995 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Champion 7GCBC, registered N9033L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Big Lake, 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER RATE OF DESCENT DURING THE APPROACH TO LAND, AND HIS MISJUDGMENT OF ALTITUDE TO FLARE FOR LANDING ON GLASSY WATER. THE GLASSY WATER CONDITION WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 1995 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Big Lake, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7GCBC · all 7GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N9033L · registry record · serial 260-70
- 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 A LAKE IN A FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRPLANE AND WAS PERFORMING A CURVING APPROACH TO GLASSY WATER. DURING THE LANDING APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE DEVELOPED A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT. JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT ADDED ENGINE POWER, BUT THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD ON THE WATER. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT FLOAT, LEFT FLOAT STRUT, AND FUSELAGE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 480 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 360 as pilot in command; 7 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,563 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 1, 1995; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LHD Anchorage AK at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 90 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:00 pm from ANC, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N9033L the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC95LA155.