ANC05CA089

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 207A · Excursion Inlet, AK · July 3, 2005

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
July 3, 2005, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC)
Place
Excursion Inlet, AK
Injuries
5 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Taxi
Aircraft
N39AKCessna 207A
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report October 27, 2005
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
FAA report
20050703017379A
Case key
61871

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a building during taxi from landing, which resulted in structural damage to the left wing when it struck the building.

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.

On ground/water collision with objectTaxi - from landing
Object - building(nonresidential)
Clearance - not maintainedPilot in commandCause

Analysis

The commercial pilot of the on-demand air taxi flight was back-taxiing on a remote airstrip when he saw another airplane on short final for the airstrip. In an effort to quickly clear the landing area, he turned too close to a small building, striking the building with the left wing, sustaining structural damage to the left wing.

Factual narrative

On July 3, 2005, about 1430 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Cessna 207A airplane, N39AK, sustained substantial damage when its left wing impacted a small building during taxi after landing at a remote dirt airstrip at Excursion Inlet, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by Wings of Alaska, of Juneau, Alaska, as a visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand air taxi flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The commercial certificated pilot and five passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated at Juneau, about 1410.

In a written statement submitted to the National Transportation Safety Board dated July 12, the president of the company reported that after landing, while back-taxiing on the runway, the pilot noticed another airplane on short final for the airstrip. He wrote that in an effort to expedite clearing the landing area, the pilot turned too close to a small building. The left wing struck the building, resulting in structural damage to the wing.

Aircraft

Registration
N39AK
Reported as
Cessna 207A
Category
Airplane
Serial number
20700597
Engine
Continental IO-520, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Part 135
Operator
Wings of Alaska, doing business as Wings of Alaska
Registered owner
Wings Airline Services Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
Departed
5Z1 · Juneau, AK
Destination
EXI · Excursion Inlet, 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
37
Certificates
Commercial, Flight instructor
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1
Flight hours
1,700 total · 400 in this make and model · 240 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day

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 N39AK · 1

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