ANC08LA093

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 207 · Quinhagak, AK · July 29, 2008

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
July 29, 2008, 14:20 local (22:20 UTC)
Place
Quinhagak, AK
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N9952MCessna 207
Defining event
Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report April 15, 2009
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
Parties
Anchorage FSDO-03
FAA report
20080729844739A
Case key
68628

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 directional control during an aborted landing.

Findings · 3

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 207: 4 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotCessna 207: 7 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Terrain: rough terrainEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcomeCessna 207: 2 casesAll aircraft: 442 cases

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

The solo airline transport pilot was landing the airplane following a cross-country positioning flight under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot said that when the airplane touched down on the runway it veered to the left, and that he applied full right rudder and aileron, and then applied full power to abort the landing. He reported that the airplane exited the runway to the left and impacted terrain. The pilot said that there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident and that prior landings that day were uneventful. He said that the airplane sustained damage to the wings and fuselage.

Factual narrative

On July 29, 2008, about 1420 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 207 airplane, N9952M, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain following an aborted landing at the Quinhagak Airport, Quinhagak, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by Grant Aviation, 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 flight following procedures were in effect.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on July 30, the pilot said as the airplane touched down on the runway, it veered to the left. He said he applied full right rudder and aileron, then applied full power to abort the landing, but the airplane exited the runway to the left and impacted terrain. The pilot said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident, and that prior landings that day were uneventful. He said the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.

Aircraft

Registration
N9952M
Reported as
Cessna 207
Category
Airplane
Serial number
207-00345
Airframe hours
21,462
Engine
Continental IO-520-F, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Positioning · Part 91
Operator
Grant Aviation, doing business as Grant Aviation
Registered owner
Alaska Aircraft Leasing LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
AAIP · July 29, 2008
Departed
PABE · Goodnews Bay, AK
Destination
PAQH · Quinhagak, AK
Flight plan
Company VFR
Airport
AQH · Quinhagak, runway 30, 4,000 × 75 ft, gravel

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
25
Injuries
None
Certificate
Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 1, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
February 20, 2008
Seat
Left
Flight hours
2,500 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 2,400 as pilot in command · 303 in the last 90 days · 87 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
300° at 10 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.