# Accident 20170703010789A: Cessna 207A, Trapper Joe Lak, AK, July 3, 2017 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 3, 2017, 10:36 local time - Place: Trapper Joe Lak, AK - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Other, Specify - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 60.4561° N, 150.0294° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.4561&lon=-150.0294&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9620M, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9620M-2019-10-05) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 207A (registry code 2073605, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-207a) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-520-F (registry code 17237, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-f) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 207A - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO-520-F - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 5,365 total, 3 in this make and model, 35 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA17CA388](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA388) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170703010789A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. N9620M IS A 1981 CESSNA 207, REGISTERED TO ALASKA AIR TAXI LOCATED AT LAKE HOOD, AK. 7-5-2017: INTERVIEW WITH ALASKA AIR TAXI CHIEF PILOT (CP): CP SAID THAT N9620M HAD A TIMED OUT ENGINE AND WAS BEING USED BY THE OWNER FOR PERSONAL USE DOWN IN SELDOVIA. THE PILOT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT IS A PERSONAL FRIEND OF THE OWNER, VISITING FROM FLORIDA. CP WAS FLYING BACK TO ANCHORAGE FROM SELDOVIA IN ANOTHER AIRCRAFT, A CE-206, AND N9620M WAS BEING FLOWN BACK PART 91. THEY FLEW AS A FLIGHT OF TWO. CP HAD THREE PASSENGERS IN HIS AIRCRAFT, AND N9620M WAS THE SECOND AIRCRAFT WITH NO CARGO ON BOARD. CP SAID THAT THEY DEPARTED AT ABOUT 0930, AND ESTIMATED THE FLIGHT WOULD TAKE ABOUT ONE HOUR. THE PLANES HAD BEEN FUELED TO FULL PRIOR TO THEIR DEPARTURE FROM ANCHORAGE ON THE PREVIOUS FLIGHT, SO THERE WAS ABOUT 3 ½ HOURS OF FUEL REMAINING. HE FLEW THE LEAD AIRPLANE AND N9620M FLEW BEHIND HIM. AFTER PASSING THE KENAI AREA, THE VISIBILITY GOT WORSE AND THE CEILINGS CAME DOWN, AND SO THEY FLEW THE COASTLINE NORTH FROM KENAI. THEY WERE GOING TO FLY THE COAST ALL THE WAY TO THE MOUTH OF THE CHICKALOON RIVER, WHICH IS JUST NEAR, BUT NOT QUITE TO, HOPE, AND THEN CROSS TURNAGAIN ARM AT THAT NARROW PORTION, AND THEN FLY INTO LAKE HOOD. THEY WERE NEAR THE AREA OF MOOSE POINT WHEN THE VISIBILITY BECAME WORSE AND THE CEILING STARTED GETTING LOWER. CP SAID THEY HAD BEEN ABOUT 800 MSL, WITH 4 TO 5 MILES VISIBILITY UP TO THAT POINT. WHEN THE WEATHER STARTED GOING LOWER, HE DECIDED TO TURN AROUND AND TOLD N9620M ON THE RADIO HE WAS DOING A 180 TURN. HE TOLD N9620M TO GO SOUTH, AND THEN TURN WEST BACK TOWARDS THE SHORELINE. N9620M ASKED IF THEY ?WERE RETURNING? AND THEN HE NEVER ANSWERED THE RADIO AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH CP CALLED HIM SEVERAL TIMES. HE COULDN?T FIND N9620M SO HE HEADED BACK TOWARDS KENAI. HE CALLED OWNER TO GET THE NOTIFICATION OF THE MISSING AIRPLANE GOING. HE DROPPED HIS PASSENGERS OFF IN KENAI TO CATCH A COMMUTER FLIGHT BACK TO ANCHORAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED AND PILOT WAS RESCUED AND BROUGHT TO THE KENAI AIRPORT. CP FLEW HIM BACK TO SELDOVIA, WHERE HE WAS STAYING AT OWNER'S RESIDENCE. TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH OWNER: SAID THAT ACCIDENT PILOT IS A PERSONAL FRIEND AND LIVES IN FLORIDA, AND COMES AND VISITS IN THE SUMMERTIME TO SELDOVIA. HE IS A FAIRLY EXPERIENCED PRIVATE PILOT WHO OWNS HIS OWN BEECH BARON, AND IS INSTRUMENT RATED AS WELL. HE SAID THAT N9620M HAS A TIMED-OUT ENGINE, AND SO IS UNABLE TO BE USED FOR PART 135 OPERATIONS. HE USED THE AIRCRAFT FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL USE TO AND FROM SELDOVIA, TO SAVE TIME ON HIS PA-31 NAVAJO. ACCIDENT PILOT WAS JUST GOING TO FOLLOW CP ON THE FLIGHT THERE. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED TO FLY IFR. TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH AIRMAN: AIRMAN SAID HE WAS A PERSONAL FRIEND OF OWNER AND HAD COME UP THIS SUMMER AND STAYING WITH HIM IN SELDOVIA. HE HAS A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH AN INSTRUMENT RATING. HE OWNS HIS OWN A-36 BEECH BARON, A 300HP COMPLEX AIRPLANE. HE HAS JUST OVER 7000 FLIGHT HOURS. AIRMAN SAID HE WAS THE 2ND PILOT IN A FLIGHT OF TWO FROM SELDOVIA TO ANCHORAGE. HE WAS FOLLOWING BEHIND AND TO THE LEFT OF CP, FLYING UP THE COASTLINE PAST KENAI. AS THE WEATHER CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE, AND CP ?CUT THE CORNER? FLYING NEAR MOOSE POINT. THE WEATHER FINALLY CLOSED IN NEAR TRAPPER LAKE AND CP CAME ON THE RADIO SAYING HE WAS TURNING AROUND BY DOING A LEFT 180. AIRMAN SAID HE LOST SIGHT OF CP AND WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT A MID-AIR COLLISION, AS HE WAS FOLLOWING BACK AND TO THE LEFT. HE IMMEDIATELY STARTED A GRADUAL CLIMBING RIGHT TURN. HE SAID HE WENT UP INTO THE CLOUDS . IT WAS NOT A PANIC SITUATION AND HE ESTIMATED IT WAS A 200-300 FMP CLIMB WITH THE GRADUAL RIGHT TURN. SUDDENLY, IT WAS "BANG" AND HE BLACKED OUT. ## 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 GAA17CA388](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA388), Jul 3, 2017: Cessna 207 (N9620M), Hope, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions and subsequent controlled flight into terrain. ## Other reports on N9620M (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19930129001259I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930129001259I), Jan 29, 1993: Cessna 207 (N9620M), Barrow, AK. Rough running engine on climb. Engine quit on return to airport. Made off airport landing. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.