- Date
- July 6, 2012, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kotlik, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2162CCessna 207A
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120706028429A
- Case key
- 84217
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 pilot's failure to maintain altitude/clearance from terrain during cruise flight at low altitude, which resulted in an in-flight collision with water. A contributing factor was the pilot’s diverted attention to adjust the engine power.
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.
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 pilot reported that he was following a river in level cruise flight at 200 feet above the water. While adjusting the engine power, his attention was temporarily distracted, and the airplane descended and struck the surface of the water. After the collision, the pilot climbed the airplane to 500 feet above ground level and proceeded directly to the nearest airport. Upon landing, the propeller and nose of the airplane struck the ground. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the nose wheel was torn from the airplane during the collision with the water. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine firewall and fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was following a river, in level cruise flight at 200 feet above the water. While adjusting the engine power his attention was temporarily distracted, the airplane descended, and struck the surface of the water. After the collision, the pilot climbed the airplane to 500 feet above ground level, and proceeded directly to the nearest airport. Upon landing, the propeller, and nose of the airplane struck the ground. A postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that the nose wheel was torn from the airplane during the collision with the water. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine firewall, and fuselage. The pilot stated there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2162C
- Reported as
- Cessna 207A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20700575
- Airframe hours
- 21,585
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-520-F, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Grant Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Grant Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 30, 2012
- Departed
- PFKO · Kotlik, AK
- Destination
- PAEM · Emmonak, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- PFKO · Kotlik Airport, runway 02, 4,422 × 100 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
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 2, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,075 total · 358 in this make and model · 2,034 as pilot in command · 181 in the last 90 days · 75 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- PAEM, 30 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 753 KB in all.
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 N2162C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.