Cessna 207 N1747U

Summary

On 7 December 1999 at about 17:00 local time, a Cessna 207 registered N1747U, operated by Grant Aviation, Inc., was involved in an accident near Bethel, Alaska, United States. 6 people were on board and 6 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 December 1999 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Bethel, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

60.8099, -161.8497

Aircraft

Cessna 207

Registration

N1747U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Grant Aviation, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Nightmute

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC00FA018

6 people died.

The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Factors associated with the accident were low ceilings, fog, and snow-covered terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot departed on a CFR Part 135 scheduled passenger flight to a remote coastal village. When the flight did not return, an aerial search was initiated. The wreckage was located the following day along the pilot's intended route, about 49 miles from the departure airport. The airplane had collided with flat, featureless, snow-covered, terrain. A pilot that departed about one minute after the accident airplane's departure, had a similar route of flight. He characterized the weather conditions along the accident airplane's route as overcast, with ceilings ranging between 2,500 and 4,500 feet. He said that as he approached the area of the accident, he encountered 'a wall of weather' starting from the ground, with tops at 1,500 feet. He added that visibility was low, with fog and varied layers of cloud cover. The pilot stated that he changed his route in order to avoid the worsening weather conditions. He added that with satisfactory weather conditions, and given the intended destination of the accident airplane, the standard route of flight would be directly over the location of the accident site. No preaccident anomalies were noted with the accident airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.