Cessna 402 N12333

Summary

On 7 August 1989 at about 20:30 local time, a Cessna 402 registered N12333 was involved in an accident near Nome, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 August 1989 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Nome, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

64.7097, -164.6204

Aircraft

Cessna 402

Registration

N12333

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wales → Nome

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC89FA137

1 person died.

CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) BY THE PILOT, AND HIS IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION. THE WEATHER AND TERRAIN CONDITIONS WERE CONSIDERED TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

DRG ARRIVAL, RYAN AIR FLT 2401 (CESSNA 402, N12333) CONTACTED NOME FSS & RPRTD 15 MI WEST OF NOME. THE PLT WAS ADZD THE WX AT NOME WAS BELOW BASIC VFR. THE PLT REQUESTED A SPECIAL VFR CLNC. HE WAS ADZD TO REMAIN IN VFR CONDITIONS OUTSIDE THE CONTROL ZONE & TO STANDBY FOR A CLNC. LATER, WHEN FSS PSNL TRIED TO CONTACT FLT 2401 TO ISSUE THE CLNC, THERE WAS NO REPLY FROM THE PLT. SUBSEQUENTLY, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED FOR THE ACFT. FOUR DAYS LATER, IT WAS FOUND WHERE IT HAD CRASHED AT ABOUT 450' MSL ON THE EAST EDGE OF SLEDGE ISLAND, APRX 18 MI WEST OF NOME. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE ACFT HAD CRASHED INTO RISING TERRAIN, WHILE IN LEVEL FLT ON A HEADING OF ABOUT 250 DEG. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEM WAS EVIDENT. THE 1300 ADT WX AT NOME WAS IN PART: 400' OVC, VIS 2 MI WITH RAIN & FOG, WIND FROM 120 DEG AT 12 KTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.