# NTSB ANC05CA017: Cessna U206G, N496K, Nunapitchuk, AK, December 16, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: December 16, 2004, 11:15 local (15:15 UTC) - Place: Nunapitchuk, AK - Coordinates: 60.905834, -162.439163 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.9058&lon=-162.4392&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 30, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 60733 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC05CA017 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/60733/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC05CA017 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate compensation for gusty wind conditions, which resulted in a loss of directional control, and collision with a ditch. Factors contributing to the accident were an icy taxiway and wind gusts. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, taxi - to takeoff - weather condition - gusts (contributing factor) - compensation for wind conditions - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - terrain condition - runway (contributing factor) - terrain condition - icy (contributing factor) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, taxi - to takeoff - terrain condition - ditch - Nose over, taxi - to takeoff ## Analysis The airline transport pilot was taxiing the airplane for takeoff on an icy taxiway in gusty wind conditions. He said a gust of wind pushed the airplane off the side of the icy taxiway, where it encountered a ditch and nosed over. ## Factual narrative On December 16, 2004, about 1115 Alaska standard time, a wheel-equipped Cessna U206G airplane, N496K, sustained substantial damage when it departed the taxiway while taxing for takeoff, encountered a ditch, and nosed over at the Nunapitchuk Airport, Nunapitchuk, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by Katmai Air Leasing LLC, of Anchorage, Alaska, as a visual flight rules (VFR) positioning flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo airline transport pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company VFR flight following procedures were in effect. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on December 16, the pilot said he was taxing for takeoff, when a gust of wind forced the airplane off the icy taxiway. He said the airplane encountered a ditch and nosed over. During a telephone conversation with the IIC on December 16, the FAA aviation safety inspector who examined the airplane at the accident site, said there appeared to be structural damage to the right wing. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N496K](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N496K-2022-07-30), registration cancelled 2022-07-30, S/N U20603953, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna U206G - Registry model: [Cessna U206G](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-u206g) (registry code 2073356) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: U20603953 - Engines: Continental IO-520F 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Operator: Katmai Air Leasing LLC, doing business as Katmai Air Service - Registered owner: Katmai Air Leasing LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility - Departed: 16A, Nunapitchuk, AK - Destination: BET, Bethel, AK - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: 16A, Nunapitchuk, runway 36 ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 27; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2; flight hours: 3,500 total, 1,900 in this make and model, 187 in the last 90 days, 63 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dawn - Wind: 320° at 20 knots, gusting 25 - Visibility: 20 statute miles - Temperature: 25 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20041216034149A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20041216034149A), Dec 16, 2004: Cessna U206G, Nunapitchuk, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) On December 16, 2004, about 1115 Alaska standard time, a wheel-equipped Cessna U206G airplane, N496K, sustained substantial damage when it departed the… 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. --- 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.