ANC03FA106

At 0645, the private certificated pilot obtained a weather briefing from an FAA automated flight service station and filed a VFR flight plan for a 4.5 hour flight over terrain that went from sea level to mountainous, with a transition eastbound through a mountain pass. The weather briefing included isolated areas of low visibility, and forecast the mountain pass as VFR in rain showers. The pass, elevation about 3,000 feet msl, is located about 10 miles northeast of the accident site, and about 7 miles north-northeast of the closest weather observation station. The briefing did not include weather observations from either side of the pass, nor any pilot reports for the area, because the first observations near the pass for the day had not been received by the FAA when the pilot concluded his briefing at 0655. The first weather observation near the pass was posted to the FAA by a weather observer at 0659. The observation included a visibility of 1/2 statute mile in mist, an indefinite ceiling with a vertical visibility of 300 feet, and contained a remarks section that estimated the pass was closed. The pilot departed on the flight at 0752. The pilot did not request any further weather information from the FAA during the flight. At 1005, near the time of the crash, the weather observation station reported the visibility as 1 statute mile, an indefinite ceiling with a vertical visibility of 300 feet, and estimated the pass was closed. The flight did not arrive at is destination and was reported overdue at 1522. A relative of the pilot located the burning wreckage about 2100 on the side of a mountain at an elevation of about 3,700 feet msl. The accident site was about 4 miles west of the weather observation station. The airplane was consumed by a postcrash fire. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that it collided upright with the terrain in about a 40 degree left bank. Examination of the wreckage did not disclose any preimpact mechanical malfunction.

History of flight

On September 2, 2003, about 1000 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Cessna T206H airplane, N72598, was destroyed by impact and postimpact fire when it collided with mountainous terrain while maneuvering, about 23.5 miles east-northeast of Chickaloon, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot and the two passengers received fatal injuries. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the area of the accident. A VFR flight plan was filed from Homer, Alaska, to Whitehorse, Canada. The flight originated at the Homer Airport, about 0752.

At 0645, the pilot telephoned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Kenai Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) and filed a VFR flight plan. He stated, in part: "...departure point is Homer, proposed departure is 0800, altitude 5,500 feet (msl), route of flight is direct Potter Marsh (Anchorage, Alaska), direct Birchwood (Chugiak, Alaska), direct Palmer, then Gulkana, via Sheep Pass, Tahneta Pass, direct Northway, direct Whitehorse." He indicated the en route time as 4.5 hours, with 5.5 hours of fuel on-board the airplane.

The route of flight specified by the pilot included terrain that went from sea level to mountainous, and generally followed Alaska Highway 1 through the mountains. The mountainous portion of the flight, where the accident occurred, is located between Palmer, Alaska, and Gulkana, Alaska, and traverses Tahneta Pass. Commonly used points of geographical reference, eastbound along the highway from Palmer, are Sutton, Chickaloon, Sheep Mountain, Gunsight Mountain, Tahneta Pass, Eureka, Snowshoe Lake, Tazlina, Tolsona, and then Gulkana.

The pilot obtained a standard weather briefing about the route of flight. The flight service station specialist provided a synopsis that stated, in part: "...we got a stationary low just north of Fairbanks and another low in the eastern Gulf, basically just southwest of Yakutat. It's moving to the northeast at about 5 knots, it looks like the occluded front is arcing still south of your route, but that would be something to keep an eye on today." The specialist provided a weather advisory for Cook Inlet and Susitna Valley, valid through 0900, for isolated IFR conditions around Cook Inlet.

The AFSS specialist then provided current observations along the intended route and stated, in part: "Palmer just put out a special (observation) ten minutes ago, they're calm, with ceiling 2,300 feet broken, 4,100 feet broken, 5,000 feet overcast; heading into Tahneta Pass, I actually got a Sutton report this morning, calm conditions, with 3,500 feet scattered, ceiling 7,000 feet broken, 9,000 feet overcast; no word from Sheep Mountain and it appears that Eureka automated (observation) is not reporting; nothing from Snowshoe Lake either; from Gulkana, light winds at 4 knots, with ceiling 4,900 feet broken, 6,500 feet overcast, temperature and dew point still 7 degrees (C), altimeter, 29.48 (inHg), remarks indicate intermittent light rain conditions, higher northeast..." The specialist also stated that: "...I don't have any pilot reports anywhere along the route yet this morning."

The specialist then provided forecast en route weather conditions that included isolated IFR conditions around and in the vicinity of the Cook Inlet, valid until 0900; widely scattered rain showers in the Copper River basin with visibilities not expected to be any less than 5 miles. The Tahneta Pass conditions included a forecast of VFR with rain showers. The pilot concluded his briefing at 0655.

At 0748, the pilot contacted the Homer Flight Service Station (FSS) and obtained an airport advisory. The pilot's last radio contact with Homer FSS was at 0754, when his flight plan was activated as he departed.

Between 0930 and 1000, the airplane was observed to fly over a private airstrip located along Highway 1, about 1 mile west of Chickaloon. The airstrip is owned by a personal friend of the pilot.

The airplane did not arrive in Whitehorse, and was reported overdue at 1522. The pilot's son was familiar with the planned route of flight, and he began an aerial search for the airplane. He located the airplane, still burning, about 2100, at an elevation of approximately 3,700 feet msl, in tundra covered terrain, on the west face of Sheep Mountain.

The accident location is located about 4 miles west of Sheep Mountain Lodge which is on Alaska Highway 1. Tahneta Pass, elevation about 3,000 feet msl, is located along the highway about 7 miles north-northeast of Sheep Mountain Lodge, and about 10 miles northeast of the accident site.

Personnel information

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and airplane instrument ratings. A review of the pilot's FAA medical records on file in the Airman and Medical Records Center located in Oklahoma City, revealed correspondence from the aerospace medical certification division, dated August 13, 2002, that contained a 6-year authorization for the special issuance of a medical certificate due to the pilot's history of sleep apnea. The expiration date of the authorization was February 28, 2008, and was contingent on FAA medical examinations at the frequency prescribed in the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), and submission of a status report from the pilot's treating physician regarding his sleep apnea at 12-month intervals. In addition, the authorization contained instructions to the pilot that permitted an aviation medical examiner to issue a medical certificate that was not valid after February 28, 2004, if there were no significant adverse changes to his medical condition, and cautioned the pilot that due to his history of sleep apnea and psychiatric difficulties, operation of an aircraft was prohibited at any time new symptoms or adverse changes occur, or any time medication and/or treatment was required.

The pilot applied for a third-class medical certificate on December 30, 2002, from an aviation medical examiner. The application contained the limitations that the pilot must wear corrective lenses for near and distant vision, and was valid until February 28, 2004. The pilot's FAA medical file contained correspondence from the aerospace medical certification division, dated April 22, 2003, that informed the pilot he was eligible for a time-corrected, third-class medical certificate, which expired on December 31, 2003. The letter to the pilot indicated that the certificate superseded any previous issued certificates, and referred the pilot to the special issuance letter of August 13, 2002.

No personal flight records were located for the pilot. On the pilot's application for medical certificate, dated December 30, 2002, the pilot indicated that his total aeronautical experience consisted of about 1,440 hours, of which 50 were accrued in the previous 6 months.

Aircraft information

No maintenance records for the airplane were located. The pilot's son reported that records were carried in the airplane. He estimated the airplane had accumulated approximately 425 hours. Review of archived maintenance information from a maintenance facility in Anchorage, Alaska, revealed that the most recent annual inspection was accomplished on March 28, 2003. At that time, the airplane had accrued 300.1 hours on the recording tachometer, and 321 hours on the hobbs meter.

Meteorological information

The FAA provided weather data for September 2, that was certified as a true copy of the original data used by the flight service station specialist to brief the pilot about the weather conditions along the planned route. The area forecast, issued at 0545 stated, in part: Cook Inlet and Susitna Valley, valid until 1800, clouds and weather, 4,000 feet scattered, 10,000 f