- Date
- February 1, 1983, 16:36 local (20:36 UTC)
- Place
- Melozi Hot Spgs, AK
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N8639VBellanca 8GCBC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19830201001949A
- Case key
- 4017
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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.
Analysis
Acft deptd a private airstrip with no flt plan and was later reported overdue. Acft wreckage was found on sept. 27, 1984. Debris was scattered near the bottom of a 1000 ft box canyon cliff. The main fuselage was found in a lake at the bottom of the canyon. Tanana fss reported moderate to severe turbulance in the area when the accident occurred. A pax who flew into Melozi with the plt then deplaned stated the plt did not seem very familiar with the area. The elevation of the lake was 2700 ft. the cliffs/peaks surrounding the lake reached about 3700 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8639V
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8GCBC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 160-75
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C2E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William Robideau
- Registered owner
- Thomas E. Mcdowell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 12AK · Melozi, AK
- Destination
- MTF · Fairbanks, AK
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 600 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F
- Observed at
- ABC
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 N8639V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.