# NTSB ANC97LA022: Cessna 207A, N9603M, Tununak, AK, January 17, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 17, 1997, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC) - Place: Tununak, AK - Coordinates: 60.600273, -165.130371 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.6003&lon=-165.1304&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report May 21, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 2962 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC97LA022 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/2962/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC97LA022 ## Probable cause the pilot's decision to continue VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain clearance from rising terrain. Factors associated with the accident were: low ceiling, fog, rising terrain, and the pilot's inadequate evaluation of the weather conditions. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, cruise - weather evaluation - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor) - weather condition - low ceiling (contributing factor) - weather condition - fog (contributing factor) - weather condition - obscuration (contributing factor) - vfr flight into imc - continued, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, maneuvering - turn to reverse direction - terrain condition - rising (contributing factor) - clearance - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The air taxi pilot was flying cargo to a remote village located near the sea. He reported he was following the coastline, with the ocean on his right, and the shore and rising terrain on his left. He indicated that as he approached his destination, the weather conditions began to deteriorate with lowering clouds, drizzle, and fog. He was trying to decide which direction to turn to avoid clouds, when he entered the clouds and struck rising terrain. The pilot was subsequently rescued by local villagers on snow machines. ## Factual narrative On January 17, 1997, about 1430 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Cessna 207A airplane, N9603M, owned and operated by Alaska Central Express, sustained substantial damage when it collided with rising terrain in instrument meteorological weather conditions, about 6 miles northeast of Tununak, Alaska. The solo commercial certificated pilot received serious injury. The all cargo, on demand 14 CFR Part 135 air taxi flight departed Bethel, Alaska, at 1329. The intended destination was Tununak, with an eventual return to Bethel. A company visual flight rules flight plan was in effect. The pilot reported he was flying southeast, generally along the shoreline of the Bering Sea, in good visual flight rules meteorological conditions. As he approached closer to Tununak, the weather conditions deteriorated. He was attempting to decide which direction to turn to circumnavigate the lowering clouds and mist, when he flew into clouds and fog. He saw terrain about 50 feet below and to the left (east). He pulled up and started a turn to the north, but struck rising terrain about 1,000 feet msl. Villagers from Tununak started a search on snow machines for the pilot soon after the accident. He was located by the villagers, and taken to Tununak for initial treatment. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9603M](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9603M-2002-11-04), registration cancelled 2002-11-04, S/N 20700710, built 1981 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 207A - Registry model: [Cessna 207A](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-207a) (registry code 2073605) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520-F](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-f) (registry code 17237, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 710 - Engines: Continental IO-520-F 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 135 - Registered owner: Alaska Central Express - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, January 11, 1997, 6 hours before - Departed: BET, BETHEL, AK - Destination: TNK - Flight plan: Company VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 46; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 2,825 total, 1,405 in this make and model, 2,516 as pilot in command, 25 in the last 90 days, 25 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day - Wind: 360° at 18 knots - Temperature: 36 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19970117000739A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970117000739A), Jan 17, 1997: Cessna 207A, Tununak, AK, Substantial damage. Encountered low clouds enroute. Pulled up into clouds to reverse course and impacted rising terrain. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.