Cessna 207 N91090

Summary

On 29 October 2002 at about 00:00 local time, a Cessna 207 registered N91090 was involved in an accident near Marshall, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 October 2002 at 00:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Marshall, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.8156, -162.0125

Aircraft

Cessna 207

Registration

N91090

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marshall → Bethel

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ANC03LA007

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a ridgeline. Factors contributing to the accident were the high terrain, the pilot's inadequate preflight planning, and the dark night light conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot was positioning the airplane from the departure airport to another airport. The flight took place on a dark night with overcast skies, and no discernible horizon. The pilot departed and climbed to a cruise altitude between 1,200 and 1,400 feet msl. About 4 miles south of the departure airport, the airplane collided with an east-west ridge at 1,200 feet msl. The ridgeline is perpendicular to the direct route of flight between the departure and destination airports, and rises from west to east with a summit elevation of 1,714 feet msl. The departure airport was a newly commissioned airport 3 miles east-northeast of the old airport. The accident flight was the pilot's second trip to the new airport, and his first night departure from either the old or new airport. Direct flight from the new airport to the destination airport requires a higher altitude to clear the ridgeline than does a direct flight from the old airport. A direct flight from the old airport crosses the same ridgeline farther to the west, where the elevation of the ridge is less than 500 feet msl.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.