Cessna TU206 N629SP

Summary

On 6 May 2009 at about 17:03 local time, a Cessna TU206 registered N629SP, operated by Alaska Scenic Air LLC, was involved in an accident near Bethel, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 May 2009 at 17:03

Classification

Accident

Location

Bethel, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Bethel Airport (PABE)

Coordinates

60.7744, -161.8408

Aircraft

Cessna TU206

Registration

N629SP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Alaska Scenic Air LLC

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bethel → Kasigluk

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC09LA038

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to remove visible frost from the wings during the preflight inspection, and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed to avoid a stall. Contributing to the accident were conditions conducive to structural icing/frost.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was taking off on the first flight of the day and had accelerated normally during the short field takeoff roll. During entry into the initial climb, the airplane suddenly rolled into an uncommanded left bank and entered an uncontrolled descent. The left wingtip struck terrain to the left of the runway approximately 1,000 feet from the beginning of the takeoff roll. The airplane came to rest upright approximately 200 feet from the initial impact point. During the impact sequence the unsecured cargo shifted forward and struck the back of the pilot’s seat and the right side of the instrument panel. The pilot exited the airplane unassisted. Photos taken 5 minutes after the accident show the leading edges and tops of the wings, and horizontal tail surfaces were covered in rough frost. The photos also show the frost appears to have been scraped off of most of the windshield. There was substantial damage to the left wing, nose gear, firewall, forward empennage, and both wingtips.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.