- Date
- August 7, 1989, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Nome, AK
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N12333Cessna 402
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890807031589A
- Case key
- 5119
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
Continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) by the pilot, and his improper in-flight planning/decision. The weather and terrain conditions were considered to be contributing factors.
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
Drg arrival, ryan air flt 2401 (Cessna 402, N12333) contacted Nome fss & rprtd 15 mi west of Nome. The plt was adzd the wx at Nome was below basic VFR. The plt requested a special VFR clnc. He was adzd to remain in VFR conditions outside the control zone & to standby for a clnc. Later, when fss psnl tried to contact flt 2401 to issue the clnc, there was no reply from the plt. Subsequently, a search was initiated for the acft. Four days later, it was found where it had crashed at about 450' MSL on the east edge of sledge island, aprx 18 mi west of Nome. An exam of the wreckage revealed the acft had crashed into rising terrain, while in level flt on a heading of about 250 deg. No preimpact mechanical problem was evident. The 1300 adt wx at Nome was in part: 400' ovc, vis 2 mi with rain & fog, wind from 120 deg at 12 KTS.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N12333
- Reported as
- Cessna 402
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 402C0806
- Airframe hours
- 5,644
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520, 325 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Ryan Air Service, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · August 1, 1989 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- WAA · Wales, AK
- Destination
- OME · Nome, 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
- 42
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,247 total · 312 in this make and model · 3,200 as pilot in command · 378 in the last 90 days · 132 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OME, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.