- Date
- August 17, 1995, 22:00 local (Aug 18, 1995, 06:00 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N756YJCessna 206
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report March 6, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19950817025689A
- Case key
- 2722
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 inadequate visual lookout for obstacles. The low light condition at dusk was a related factor.
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
At the conclusion of fishing, the pilot and two passengers were preparing to depart a remote river in a float equipped airplane. The pilot performed a step taxi in preparation for takeoff. Due to low light conditions and shadows, the pilot did not see a small sandbar. The floats of the airplane struck the sandbar, and the airplane nosed over.
Factual narrative
On August 17, 1995, about 2200 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped Cessna 206, N756YJ, crashed while taxiing for takeoff on the Beluga River, about 32 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated airline transport pilot and 2 passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The pilot reported that at the conclusion of fishing, he was performing a step taxi in preparation for takeoff. Due to low light conditions and shadows, the pilot did not see a small sandbar. The floats of the airplane struck the sandbar and the airplane nosed over. The airplane received damage to the wings, tail cone, and the vertical and horizontal stabilizers.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N756YJ
- Reported as
- Cessna 206
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4460
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-F, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ronald D. Kakeldey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 11, 1995 · 8 hours before
- Destination
- 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
- 56
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 16,000 total · 350 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 45 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.