Cessna 208 N9530F

Summary

On 10 October 2001 at about 17:26 local time, a Cessna 208 registered N9530F, operated by Peninsula Airways Inc, was involved in an accident near Dillingham, Alaska, United States. 10 people were on board and 10 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 October 2001 at 17:26

Classification

Accident

Location

Dillingham, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Dillingham (DLG)

Coordinates

58.8200, -157.8600

Aircraft

Cessna 208

Registration

N9530F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Peninsula Airways Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dillingham → King Salmon

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DCA02MA003

10 people died.

an in-flight loss of control resulting from upper surface ice contamination that the pilot-in-command failed to detect during his preflight inspection of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the lack of a preflight inspection requirement for CE-208 pilots to examine at close range the upper surface of the wing for ice contamination when ground icing conditions exist.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was parked outside on the ramp the night before the accident and was subjected to rain, snow, and temperatures that dropped below 32 degrees F. Other pilots whose airplanes were also parked outside overnight stated that about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of snow/frost covered a layer of ice on their airplanes the morning of the accident. Because of these conditions, ramp personnel deiced the accident airplane with a heated mixture of glycol and water. The PenAir ramp supervisor who conducted the deicing stated that he believed the upper surface of the wing was clear of ice but that he did not physically touch the wing to check for the presence of ice. Investigators were unable to determine whether the accident pilot visually or physically checked the wing and tail surfaces for contamination after the accident airplane was deiced. However, the airplane's high-wing configuration would have hindered the pilot's ability to see residual clear ice on the surface of the wing after the deicing procedures. Company records indicate that the certificated commercial pilot completed his initial CE-208 flight training 2 months before the accident and had accumulated a total of 74 hours in this make and model of airplane. The airplane, with the pilot and nine passengers onboard, crashed shortly after takeoff from runway 01. A witness observed that the airplane's flight appeared to be normal until the airplane suddenly pitched up, rolled 90 degrees to the left, and yawed to the left. The airplane then descended nose-down until it disappeared from view. Data from the engine monitoring system revealed that the maximum altitude obtained during the accident flight was about 651 feet mean sea level. The airplane crashed in a level attitude. Investigators found no evidence of pre-impact failures in the structure, flight control systems, or instruments. Further, examination of the engine and propeller revealed no pre-impact failures and that the engine was running when the airplane hit the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.