Cessna T206H N72598

Summary

On 2 September 2003 at about 18:00 local time, a Cessna T206H registered N72598 was involved in an accident near Chickaloon, Alaska, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 September 2003 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Chickaloon, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.8172, -147.6344

Aircraft

Cessna T206H

Registration

N72598

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Homer → Whitehorse

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC03FA106

3 people died.

The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and subsequent collision with mountainous terrain while maneuvering. Factors contributing to the accident were weather conditions consisting of clouds/mist and low ceilings, and the pilot's failure to obtain in-flight weather advisories before entering mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

At 0645, the private certificated pilot obtained a weather briefing from an FAA automated flight service station and filed a VFR flight plan for a 4.5 hour flight over terrain that went from sea level to mountainous, with a transition eastbound through a mountain pass. The weather briefing included isolated areas of low visibility, and forecast the mountain pass as VFR in rain showers. The pass, elevation about 3,000 feet msl, is located about 10 miles northeast of the accident site, and about 7 miles north-northeast of the closest weather observation station. The briefing did not include weather observations from either side of the pass, nor any pilot reports for the area, because the first observations near the pass for the day had not been received by the FAA when the pilot concluded his briefing at 0655. The first weather observation near the pass was posted to the FAA by a weather observer at 0659. The observation included a visibility of 1/2 statute mile in mist, an indefinite ceiling with a vertical visibility of 300 feet, and contained a remarks section that estimated the pass was closed. The pilot departed on the flight at 0752. The pilot did not request any further weather information from the FAA during the flight. At 1005, near the time of the crash, the weather observation station reported the visibility as 1 statute mile, an indefinite ceiling with a vertical visibility of 300 feet, and estimated the pass was closed. The flight did not arrive at is destination and was reported overdue at 1522. A relative of the pilot located the burning wreckage about 2100 on the side of a mountain at an elevation of about 3,700 feet msl. The accident site was about 4 miles west of the weather observation station. The airplane was consumed by a postcrash fire. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that it collided upright with the terrain in about a 40 degree left bank. Examination of the wreckage did not disclose any preimpact mechanical malfunction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.