Cessna 207A N9985M

Summary

On 25 June 1990 at about 22:30 local time, a Cessna 207A registered N9985M was involved in an accident near Aialak Bay, Alaska, United States. 5 people were on board and 5 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 June 1990 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Aialak Bay, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Seward (SWD)

Coordinates

60.0499, -149.3300

Aircraft

Cessna 207A

Registration

N9985M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Seward → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC90FA101

5 people died.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S ATTEMPT TO FLY UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES WHILE IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE LOW CEILING AND SURROUNDING MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

TWO AIRPLANES DEPARTED SEWARD WITHIN MINUTES OF EACH OTHER ON A LOCAL FLIGHTSEEING TRIP, AND THEIR FLIGHT ROUTES WERE TO BE THE SAME. AFTER REACHING AIALAK BAY, THIS AIRPLANE PASSED THE OTHER AND STARTED THE RETURN TRIP TO SEWARD. THE PASS THEY WOULD NORMALLY USE WAS OBSCURED BY CLOUDS. THE PENINSULA THAT SEPARATED AIALAK BAY AND SEWARD WAS THE ONLY PART OF LAND THAT WAS OBSCURED BY WEATHER. THE BASES OF THE CLOUDS WERE AT 1200 FEET MSL. THE AIRPLANE WAS LOCATED ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE, AT THE 2700 FOOT LEVEL OF A MOUNTAIN, AND THE WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED ALONG 330 DEGREES. THE PILOT HAD BEEN HIRED LESS THAN 2 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AS A GROUND HANDLER AND FUELER, AND FOR PILOT TRAINING. TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT HE WAS AUTHORIZED TO FLY PART 135 FLIGHTSEEING TRIPS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.