Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, July 14, 2015 in Homer, AK
Probable Cause Approval Date: 09/11/2015
Aircraft: CESSNA 140, registration: N72784
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.
The pilot reported that while on a cross-country flight over an area of mountainous terrain, he noticed a bear that was near the entrance to a mountain pass. He said that while orbiting over the bear, a strong downdraft emanating from the pass entrance caused the airplane to descend toward the saddle of the mountain pass. The pilot said that he applied full engine power in an attempt to arrest the descent, but the airplane's main landing gear wheels ultimately touched down in an area of grass-covered terrain. The airplane's left main wheel subsequently struck a large rock, and the left wing struck the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot said that just after the accident, he estimated the surface wind to be from 090 to 140 degrees at 10 knots, with gusts from 15 to 20 knots. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot's decision to fly at a low altitude in mountainous terrain and weather conditions conducive to downdrafts.
The pilot reported that while on a cross-country flight over an area of mountainous terrain, he noticed a bear that was near the entrance to a mountain pass. He said that while orbiting over the bear, a strong downdraft emanating from the pass entrance caused the airplane to descend toward the saddle of the mountain pass. The pilot said that he applied full engine power in an attempt to arrest the descent, but the airplane's main landing gear wheels ultimately touched down in an area of grass-covered terrain. The airplane's left main wheel subsequently struck a large rock, and the left wing struck the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot said that just after the accident, he estimated the surface wind to be from 090 to 140 degrees at 10 knots, with gusts from 15 to 20 knots. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operations.
ANCHORAGE - A Soldotna pilot crashed his plane near Dinglestadt Glacier in the Kenai Mountains and failed to report the crash for a week, Alaska State Troopers wrote in a dispatch.
Troopers were notified Monday by the Rescue Coordination Center in Anchorage that a pilot had seen a crash near Dinglestadt Glacier about 25 miles northeast of Homer.
The Civil Air Patrol had attempted to locate the wreck Sunday but were unable to land near the site and as a result, were not able to get the tail number of the plane, that was inverted.
"Due to the limited information, and the absence of a report of the crash from the pilot, AST initiated a search and rescue for the occupants of the plane," troopers wrote in a dispatch. Trooper helicopter, HELO-2 was able to land near the crash site and identify the plane as a yellow Cessna 140.
The plane was registered to 24-year-old Joshua Mastre of Soldotna and there were no occupants in the plane.
Mastre was contacted by phone and he told troopers that "he was flying on 7/14/15 when he was caught in a strong down draft which cuased the plane to crash into the mountain." Mastre said he was not injured in the crash and hiked down the mountain.
"He (Mastre) did not report the crash to AST, FAA, or NTSB," troopers wrote.
The discovery of a crashed plane near a glacier in Southcentral Alaska on Sunday prompted responses from at least two government agencies that hadn't been informed of the crash, according to Alaska State Troopers.
Authorities eventually learned the pilot flew into a mountain, survived and hiked out of the wilderness.
Troopers spokesperson Megan Peters said the pilot, 24-year-old Soldotna resident Joshua Mastre, reported the crash to Kenai National Wildlife Refuge officials despite an online troopers dispatch posted Tuesday stating he didn’t report the accident an appropriate agency.
Around 10:20 Monday morning, troopers got a report from the Rescue Coordination Center in Anchorage about a plane crash. A pilot spotted the site a day earlier in the area of Dinglestadt Glacier, in the Kenai Mountains 25 miles northeast of Homer, RCC told troopers.
RCC initially tasked the Civil Air Patrol with locating the wreckage, and while pilots were able to locate the plane on Sunday they couldn’t land and get its tail number, troopers said.
Troopers were given the coordinates of the site on Monday.
“Due to the limited information, and the absence of a report of the crash of the pilot, AST initiated a search-and-rescue for the occupants of the plane,” trooper said.
Troopers’ Anchorage-based search-and-rescue helicopter Helo 2 flew to the scene and landed. A yellow Cessna 140 was identified by its tail number as registered to Mastre.
At that time, searchers didn’t find any occupants, troopers said. Mastre was called on the phone.
“Mastre reported he was flying on (July 14) when he was caught in a strong down draft which caused the plane to crash into the mountain,” troopers reported. “He was uninjured and hiked out. He did not report the crash to” troopers, the Federal Aviation Administration or the National Transportation Safety Board, troopers said.
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge manager Steve Miller said Mastre called the refuge a day after the crash. Mastre reported he had a “mishap” and was arranging for the plane's removal, Miller said.
Mastre walked to a lake in the refuge and was picked up by a float plane, Miller said. The pilot didn’t report having been injured.
Miller said the refuge didn't inform Mastre about needing to contact troopers or other authorities about the crash.
Troopers have notified the FAA, they said.
The FAA and NTSB will investigate the crash, said FAA Pacific Division public affairs manager Ian Gregor.
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