- Date
- August 17, 1988, 20:03 local (Aug 18, 1988, 04:03 UTC)
- Place
- Mt. Torbet, AK
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5718MCessna 402B
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19880817034099A
- Case key
- 4961
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
The on-demand-charter flight was to originally pickup passengers and cargo but a landing gear problem forced another airplane with a mechanic to be dispatched. The other airplane returned with the passengers and the accident airplane was repaired by the mechanic and departed at a later time with the cargo on board. The airplane was not on a flight plan. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed from 7000 feet MSL to 12,500 feet MSL as reported by the other company airplane. The aircraft was found on the side of Mt. Torbert at the 10,570 foot level. The pilot-in-command was found in the right pilot seat with a non-aviation related book in his lap. The mechanic was found in the left pilot seat with a world aeronautical chart, CD-11 open on his lap. The mechanic held a commercial pilots certificate but no instrument rating. The investigation revealed weaknesses in company operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5718M
- Reported as
- Cessna 402B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 402B0354
- Airframe hours
- 3,051
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-E, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Wilburs Inc., doing business as Wilburs Flight Operations
- Registered owner
- Wilburs Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 16, 1988 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- SLQ · Sleetmute, AK
- Destination
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 27
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,452 total · 1,248 in this make and model · 202 in the last 90 days · 156 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 50 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
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 N5718M · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.