Cessna 207A N6314H

Summary

On 7 November 2011 at about 22:30 local time, a Cessna 207A registered N6314H, operated by Hageland Aviation Services, was involved in an accident near Kwigillingok, Alaska, United States. 6 people were on board and 3 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

7 November 2011 at 22:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Kwigillingok, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Kwigillingok (GGV)

Coordinates

59.8509, -154.5596

Aircraft

Cessna 207A

Registration

N6314H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Hageland Aviation Services

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kwigillingok → Bethel

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ANC12LA002

3 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to abort the takeoff when he realized the airplane could not attain sufficient takeoff and climb performance and his improper decision to depart from an airport where night operations were prohibited.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed on a scheduled commuter flight at night from an unlit, rough and uneven snow-covered runway with five passengers and baggage. During the takeoff roll, the airplane bounced twice and became airborne, but it failed to climb. As the airplane neared the departure end of the runway, it began to veer to the left, and the pilot applied full right aileron, but the airplane continued to the left as it passed over the runway threshold. The airplane subsequently settled into an area of snow and tundra-covered terrain about 100 yards south of the runway threshold and nosed over. Official sunset on the day of the accident was 48 minutes before the accident, and the end of civil twilight was one minute before the accident. The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport/Facility Directory, Alaska Supplement listing for the airport, includes the following notation: "Airport Remarks - Unattended. Night operations prohibited, except rotary wing aircraft. Runway condition not monitored, recommend visual inspection prior to using. Safety areas eroded and soft. Windsock unreliable." A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Given the lack of mechanical deficiencies with the airplane's engine or flight controls, it is likely the pilot failed to maintain control during the takeoff roll and initial climb after takeoff.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.