- Date
- February 10, 1991, 13:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- Kivalina, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9651MCessna 207
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910210003159A
- Case key
- 5519
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's failure in not identifying the weather conditions along the route. Contributing to the accident was improper in flight planning and decision by the PIC and the whiteout conditions.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he was at 700 MSL when he encountered a complete whiteout condition. At the time of the whiteout condition, he believed he was west over the ocean. A few minutes later, the aircraft struck the mountain ridge at the 700 foot level.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9651M
- Reported as
- Cessna 207
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 207A00715
- Airframe hours
- 5,084
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-F, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · February 2, 1991 · 10 hours before
- Destination
- OTZ · Kotzebue, AK
- Flight plan
- 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
- 38
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,811 total · 80 in this make and model · 2,633 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 52 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 15 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft
- Temperature
- 19 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
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 N9651M · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.