Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at low altitude.
NTSB analysis
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.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC25LA083 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Aug 2, 2025
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Chisana, Alaska
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Aviat Aircraft Inc A-1B
- N-number
- N900HY
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2006
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.