Cessna 207A N7318U
7 September 1997 · Bethel, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 7 September 1997 at about 03:00 local time, a Cessna 207A registered N7318U was involved in an accident near Bethel, Alaska, United States. 4 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.
The record
- Date
- at 03:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Bethel, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Canyon Creek
- Coordinates
- 60.8098, -161.8495
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207A
- Registration
- N7318U
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC97LA134
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate evaluation of the weather conditions. Factors in the accident were a downdraft, crosswind conditions, and rough/uneven terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot and three passengers were departing a remote, private airstrip. The airstrip is 1,000 feet long and 40 feet wide, at an elevation of 1,200 feet mean sea level. It is located in a narrow canyon with steep terrain on the north side, and lower hills on the south side. During the takeoff on a magnetic heading of 130 degrees, the airplane lifted off near the end of the runway. The pilot indicated that after lift-off the airplane climbed to about 50 feet above the ground, and suddenly encountered a downdraft. The airplane began descending toward the ground, and collided with rough terrain. The pilot indicated the wind conditions at the time of the accident were 040 degrees at 20 knots, with gusts to 25 knots.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 207 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Dec 1997 | Cessna 207 | Alakanuk, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jun 1997 | Cessna 207A | Nome, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 26 Sep 1997 | Cessna 207A | Twin Hills, Alaska, United States | Yute Air Alaska, Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Jan 1997 | Cessna 207A | Tununak, Alaska, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Feb 1997 | Cessna 207 | Chevak, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Mar 1997 | Cessna 207 | Grayling, Alaska, United States | Yute Air Alaska | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-32-300 | Juneau, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 20 Oct 1997 | Cessna 208B | Kasigluk, Alaska, United States | Peninsula Airways Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-22-160 | Sterling, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Oct 1997 | Cessna 182B | Palmer, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Oct 1997 | Bell 206-B2 | Sutton, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Oct 1997 | Piper PA-20 | Naknek, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |