Cessna U206F N8316Q

Summary

On 13 September 2013 at about 21:15 local time, a Cessna U206F registered N8316Q was involved in an accident near Kotzebue, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 September 2013 at 21:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

67.1778, -161.8631

Aircraft

Cessna U206F

Registration

N8316Q

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kiana → Kotzebue

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC13LA100

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot’s improper decision to continue visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Before departing from a remote hunting site on a short cross-country flight, the accident pilot obtained a pilot report from another pilot who had just flown the route. The pilot report indicated 25 miles visibility, clouds at 1,400 feet, and a cloud ceiling at 1,800 feet. The airplane departed uneventfully, and, about 15 minutes into the 30-minute flight, the airplane approached the last ridge before the destination airport. The top of the ridge was about 1,950 feet mean sea level. The pilot stated that the destination airport peninsula was visible in the distance with an estimated 500 feet of clearance between the top of the ridge and the base of the cloud ceiling. He added that, as the airplane neared the ridge, the airplane encountered a severe downdraft and an abrupt entry into instrument meteorological conditions and then subsequently collided with the ridge about 30 to 50 feet below the ridgeline. However, review of handheld GPS data revealed that the airplane was in a constant climb during the minutes leading up to the collision with the ridge except for a 6-foot descent just before the collision. Additionally, the nearest reporting weather station reported a cloud ceiling about 50 feet below the ridgeline. The pilot noted no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Thus, it is likely that the pilot was flying the airplane low to stay below the clouds and then began to climb the airplane to clear the ridge when he entered instrument meteorological conditions as the airplane approached the ridge.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.