Short Brothers SC-7 N30GA

Summary

On 1 September 1995 at about 20:00 local time, a Short Brothers SC-7 registered N30GA, operated by North Star Air Cargo Inc., was involved in an accident near Skwentna, 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

1 September 1995 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Skwentna, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.9297, -151.7296

Aircraft

Short Brothers SC-7

Registration

N30GA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

North Star Air Cargo Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Farewell → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC95LA158

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S CONTINUED VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE WEATHER WAS A FACTOR.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT HAD DEPARTED A REMOTE AIRSTRIP ON THE RETURN PORTION OF A CARGO FLIGHT. AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE WITH THE ARTCC. AFTER DEPARTURE, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ARTCC TO OPEN HIS FLIGHT PLAN BUT COMMUNICATIONS WERE NOT ESTABLISHED. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTH OF THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT AFTER DEPARTURE, THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED WESTBOUND AND THEN TURNED SOUTHBOUND TOWARD HIGHER TERRAIN. IT CIRCLED SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT AND TURNED EASTBOUND WHILE CLIMBING TO 5,300 FT MSL. THE AIRPLANE THEN TURNED SOUTHBOUND AGAIN TOWARD THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE LAST RECORDED RADAR DATA WAS AT 5,200 FT MSL. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A RIDGELINE ABOUT 4,800 FT MSL. AIRMETS WERE IN EFFECT FOR IFR CONDITIONS, LOW CEILINGS, MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS, RAIN, FOG, AND ICING IN CLOUDS AND IN PRECIPITATION. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT WHEN THE AIRPLANE ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT, THE AIRFRAME HAD A COATING OF ICE. WHEN THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED, SNOW WAS FALLING AT THE AIRPORT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.