- Date
- March 4, 2000, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Holy Cross, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N407GVCessna 208B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20000304038779A
- Case key
- 50948
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
An in-flight separation of a main landing gear tire mud flap, and subsequent impact with the horizontal stabilizer.
Analysis
The commercial certificated pilot departed on a scheduled flight. During cruise, about fifteen minutes after takeoff, he heard a bang. After landing at the destination airport, damage was discovered to the horizontal stabilizer. The left mud flap, normally positioned at the aft side of the main landing gear tire, was missing. The horizontal stabilizer was dented, and had damage to the auxiliary spar.
Factual narrative
On March 4, 2000, about 1230 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Cessna 208B airplane, N407GV, sustained substantial damage during cruise flight between Holy Cross, Alaska, and Aniak, Alaska. The location of the occurrence was about 18 miles south of Holy Cross, about latitude 61 degrees, 54 minutes north, and longitude 159 degrees, 40 minutes west. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) scheduled flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated as Flight 2602 by Hageland Aviation Services Inc., Anchorage, Alaska. The commercial certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. VFR company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated at the Holy Cross airport, about 1215.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on March 6, 2000, the director of operations for the company reported the flight was carrying U.S. mail. The pilot was in cruise flight when he heard a bang. After landing at Aniak, damage was discovered to the horizontal stabilizer. The left mud flap, normally positioned at the aft side of the main landing gear tire, was missing. The horizontal stabilizer was dented, and had damage to the auxiliary spar.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N407GV
- Reported as
- Cessna 208B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 208B0616
- Airframe hours
- 3,800
- Engine
- P&W PT6-114A, 650 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Hageland Aviation Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · March 14, 2000 · 102 hours before
- Departed
- 4Z4 · Holy Cross, AK
- Destination
- PANI · Aniak, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,600 total · 700 in this make and model · 262 in the last 90 days · 176 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 16 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N407GV · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.