Cessna 120 N77316
11 March 1991 · Atigan Pass, Alaska, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 11 March 1991 at about 17:15 local time, a Cessna 120 registered N77316, operated by John R. Deruyter, was involved in an accident near Atigan Pass, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Atigan Pass, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 70.4298, -149.2896
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120
- Registration
- N77316
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- John R. Deruyter
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Tulik → North Pole
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC91LA034
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT CONTINUED TO FLY VFR INTO IFR CONDITIONS. RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: LOW CEILINGS, WHITEOUT CONDITIONS, AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT STATED THAT JUST BEFORE REACHING A 4,700 FOOT MOUNTAIN PASS, HE ENCOUNTERED RAPIDLY DETERIORATING FLIGHT VISIBILITY AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS DUE TO SNOW-COVERED TERRAIN AND FALLING SNOW. HE LOST SIGHT OF THE GROUND AND WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE AIRPLANE AROUND. HE BEGAN A SLOW DESCENT AND CRASH LANDED ON THE SNOW-COVERED MOUNTAINSIDE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 120 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun 1991 | Cessna 120 | Spirit Lake, Iowa, United States | Fairchild, Timothy J. | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Mar 1991 | Cessna 120 | Simsbury, Connecticut, United States | Korsen, Richard | Fatal | 2 |
| 12 Jul 1991 | Cessna 120 | Pocahontas, Mississippi, United States | Pearman, Auburn | No injuries | - |
| 6 Apr 1991 | Cessna 120 | Pinebluff, North Carolina, United States | Williams, David E. | No injuries | - |
| 18 Oct 1991 | Cessna 120 | Olancha, California, United States | Kaplan Michael A | Fatal | 1 |
| 3 Jun 1991 | Cessna 120 | Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States | Hurd, Donald A. | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Mar 1991 | Piper PA-20 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | Hickok, Bruce D. | No injuries | - |
| 22 May 1991 | David K Maxwell MAX-1 | Sutton, Alaska, United States | Stanley R. Dapkus | Serious injuries | - |
| 5 Jan 1991 | Cessna 172G | Wasilla, Alaska, United States | Larry M. Driskill | No injuries | - |
| 2 Feb 1991 | Champion 7EC | Eagle River, Alaska, United States | Robert C. Bischoff | No injuries | - |
| 29 Mar 1991 | Cessna 206 | Homer, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 9 Apr 1991 | Piper PA-18-150 | Tatitlek, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |