- Date
- April 1, 1992, 00:30 local (04:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kalskag, AK
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N11140Cessna 150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920401007839A
- Case key
- 5708
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 control of the airplane as a result of his physical impairment due to alcohol. A factor was the dark night.
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 pilot had landed at the Kalskag airport earlier - sometime after 2200 - and was observed drinking heavily from a bottle which was finished and thrown away. He then took another fifth of whiskey out from behind his seat. The passenger asked the pilot to fly her to russian mission. The pilot stated he wanted to sober up first. The passenger coaxed the pilot 'like crazy' into taking her. The pilot then took the open fifth from behind his seat and put it in the passenger's lap. He then agreed to fly her to russian mission. At 0200 an ELT signal was picked up by a satellite. The airplane had crashed on a frozen lake 12 mi west of Kalskag. Damage was consistent with a high speed, nose low impact. The pilot's blood alcohol level was 209 mg/dl, and a 0.035 ug/ml level of tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (marijuana) was also detected in his blood. The passenger's blood alcohol level was 95 mg/dl.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N11140
- Reported as
- Cessna 150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15075217
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Fred C. Holmberg
- Registered owner
- Fred C. Holmberg
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Destination
- RSH · Russian Mission, 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
- 32
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.