Cessna 206 N5446X

Summary

On 22 August 1999 at about 21:30 local time, a Cessna 206 registered N5446X was involved in an accident near Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska, United States. 2 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.

Date

22 August 1999 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

68.1500, -151.7102

Aircraft

Cessna 206

Registration

N5446X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Galbraith Lake → Bettles

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC99LA118

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's continued flight into adverse weather conditions after becoming lost/disoriented. Factors in the accident were rising terrain, a blind/box canyon, and weather conditions consisting of clouds, rain, and fog.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private certificated pilot departed from a remote lake, elevation 2,500 feet msl, after a week of hunting and camping. After departure, the pilot proceeded south along a river drainage. The pilot said a light rain was falling at the time, and he was orienting his position by pilotage, using a sectional map, and a topographic map. He said he became disoriented to his exact position, and turned into a small valley that was about five miles north of where he thought he was. The terrain was rising and he began climbing through 4,300 feet msl. Rain began to fall harder and the valley became too narrow to turn around. Clouds began to close around the airplane as he climbed to 5,300 feet msl. The terrain continued to rise, and the pilot noticed his airspeed was decreasing until the stall horn sounded. The airplane collided with rising, open terrain, and the floats were sheared off the airframe. The airplane received damage to the wings, propeller, and fuselage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.