# Incident 19981223041879I: Cessna T207A, Kotzebue, AK, December 23, 1998

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 23, 1998, 09:05 local time
- Place: Kotzebue, AK
- Airport: Ralph Wien Memorial
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: ENHA
- Location: 67.2402° N, 161.1897° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=67.2402&lon=-161.1897&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1864, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1864-2001-09-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna T207A (registry code 2073614, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t207a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA T207A
- Reported engine: CONT IO520F
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 5,000 total, 3,000 in this make and model, 300 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC99IA019](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99IA019) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981223041879I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON DECEMBER 23, 1998, AT 0905 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 207 AIRPLANE, N1864, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN IT DROPPED INTO A DITCH WHILE TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF AT THE RALPH WEIN MEMORIAL AIRPORT, KOTZEBUE, ALASKA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND THE SOLE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED.  THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 135 AS GRANT AVIATION INC., FLIGHT 501 FOR KOTZEBUE TO NOATAK, ALASKA.  NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, AND A COMPANY VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.  THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW ON DECEMBER 23, THAT WHEN HE CALLED FOR TAXI, THE FAA FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (FSS) TOLD HIM THAT THE MAIN RUNWAY 08-26 WAS CLOSED DUE TO A VEHICLE SWEEPING SNOW, AND THAT RUNWAY 17 WAS AVAILABLE.  THE PILOT SAID HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO TAXI TO RUNWAY 17.  HE RELATED THAT HE FOLLOWED TIRE TRACKS IN THE SNOW ON WHAT HE BELIEVED WAS THE TAXIWAY, BUT WAS ACTUALLY A ROAD.  HE THEN SAW HEADLIGHTS COMING TOWARD HIM.  HE SAW THE RUNWAY 17 EDGE LIGHT OFF TO HIS RIGHT SIDE, AND TURNED TOWARD THEM.  THE AIRPLANE TAXIED OFF THE ROAD, AND FELL INTO A DITCH.  THE PILOT SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN STATIONED  IN KOTZEBUE SINCE SEPTEMBER, BUT HAD ONLY USED RUNWAY 17 ABOUT THREE TIMES, AND ALWAYS IN THE DAYLIGHT. THE TAXIWAY TO THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 17 IS 1,463 FEET FROM THE EDGE OF RUNWAY 08.  THERE ARE NO TAXIWAY LIGHTS ALONG THE ROUTE.  A ROAD CROSSES THE TAXIWAY AT AN OBLIQUE ANGLE, AND THE INTERSECTION IS UNMARKED.  BOTH THE TAXIWAY AND THE ROAD WERE PLOWED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ANC99IA019](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99IA019), Dec 23, 1998: Cessna 207 (N1864), Kotzebue, AK, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: The pilot's selection of the wrong taxi route. A factor associated with this incident was the absence of taxiway lighting or marking.

## Other reports on N1864 (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19991224041869A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991224041869A), Dec 24, 1999: Cessna T207A (N1864), Bethel, AK, Substantial damage. (.4)The certificated commercial pilot, with five passengers aboard, was departing runway 18 on a scheduled commuter flight. The pilot stated that the flight's…
- [Incident 19921012052979I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19921012052979I), Oct 12, 1992: Cessna 207A (N1864), Kotlik, AK, Minor damage. Aircraft started to slip as pilot attempted to turn onto icy ramp.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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