Cessna 208 N9382F

Summary

On 2 October 1989 at about 01:47 local time, a Cessna 208 registered N9382F, operated by Mark Air Express, was involved in an accident near King Salmon, Alaska, United States. 3 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

2 October 1989 at 01:47

Classification

Accident

Location

King Salmon, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

58.7503, -156.5405

Aircraft

Cessna 208

Registration

N9382F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Mark Air Express

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → King Salmon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC90LA001

Nobody was injured.

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN, UNFAVORABLE WIND, DOWNDRAFT, THE PILOT'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, AND HIS SELF INDUCED PRESSURE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIR TAXI PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO TRANSPORT A HUNTING PARTY FROM A SMALL LAKE WHICH HE HAD NOT LANDED ON BEFORE. HE REPORTED THAT IT WAS HIS LAST FLIGHT OF A VERY BUSY FLYING DAY, AND THAT THE HUNTERS WERE ALREADY A DAY LATE IN BEING PICKED UP DUE TO THE WEATHER. HE SAID THAT WHILE HE WAS LANDING AND LOADING HIS PASSENGERS, THE WIND SHIFTED. HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE WIND SHIFT. THE WIND WAS BLOWING OVER A SMALL HILL BESIDE THE LAKE THAT CREATED A DOWNDRAFT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHEN THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE, THE TAKEOFF WAS DELAYED DUE TO THE WINDSHIFT AND DOWNDRAFT, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS UNABLE TO GAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE FAR SHORE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.