Aerial Hit And Run Prompts Investigation

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The NTSB is asking for tips from the public after the aviation version of a hit and run in Alaska earlier this month. The board says a Cessna 180 was hit by an “unknown” aircraft near Sutton Alaska on Oct. 13. The 180 took serious damage to a wing but the pilot was able to land it without incident. The other aircraft kept going and the pilot hasn’t fessed up. So the NTSB and the FAA are asking anyone else who might have information on the incident to come forward, according to the Anchorage Daily News as reported in Kathryn’s Report

“We don’t think there was any damage to the other plane, but we don’t know that because it kept going,” Johnson said. “This is an accident, and we’re trying to figure out what took place. We’d like to get both sides of the story,” he said. “So we are actively looking for that airplane.” A review of ATC tapes didn’t turn up anything so the NTSB is hoping anyone who knows anything will call them at 907-782-4848.

Russ Niles
Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.

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11 COMMENTS

    • If it was a bird strike there would almost certainly be feathers, blood, and/or guts on the plane. And any damage would be to a leading-edge surface and blunt in nature. Whereas a collision with another plane — or maybe, just maybe a drone — could come from any direction, might well leave “witness marks” in the form of paint from the other aircraft, and any damage would be likely involve tearing rather than denting the metal.

  1. Where is the vaunted ADSB data that all aircraft are required to be transmitting? And isn’t Alaska where all of this was started, just for the coverage reasons???

  2. Could be the aerial version of a car driver telling an insurance company and the police ‘I hit a deer with my car” when in reality you hit a tree while driving drunk.

    Maybe the pilot pranged the plane somewhere and is using this as an excuse?

    Just a thought….

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