Cessna 208B N407GV

Summary

On 13 March 2021 at about 01:45 local time, a Cessna 208B registered N407GV, operated by Grant Aviation, was involved in an accident near Chevak, Alaska, United States. 5 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 March 2021 at 01:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Chevak, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Chevak (VAK)

Coordinates

61.5378, -165.6022

Aircraft

Cessna 208B

Registration

N407GV

Category

Airplane

Year built

1997

Engines

1

Operator

Grant Aviation

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Bethel

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC21LA025

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s loss of directional control during the back-taxi for departure in strong crosswind conditions which resulted in a runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was the snow-and-ice-covered runway.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while back-taxiing for departure, on a snow-and-ice-covered runway in a strong crosswind, the airplane began to slide towards the left side of the runway. He corrected for the slide back towards the runway center line, but the airplane encountered a “violent gust of wind” and began to slide again. He applied right brake and right rudder while leaving in full right aileron, but the airplane had zero braking action. As the airplane continued to slide, he applied engine power in an attempt to increase the rudder authority and “correct the direction back towards the runway” to no avail. Subsequently, the airplane slid off the left side of the runway, the left wheel impacted a snowbank, and the airplane “tipped” to the left. The airplane came to rest in a nose down attitude, banked to the left at about a 40° angle, and sustained substantial damage to the left wing and aileron. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that the weather at the accident airport, about the time of the accident, was wind from 120° at 20 knots. The pilot was back taxiing on runway 20.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.