Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ketchikan, Alaska 99903
Friday, March 10, 1995 7:45 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
PRIOR TO DEPARTING ON A SCHEDULED AIR TAXI FLIGHT WITH TWO PASSENGERS, THE PILOT OBTAINED A WEATHER BRIEFING THAT INCLUDED AIRMETS FOR MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION, IFR AND ICING CONDITIONS. VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. A COMPANY FLIGHT THAT DEPARTED BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, RETURNED TO THE COMPANY BASE DUE TO LOW CEILINGS, AFTER THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT DEPARTED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ON A VFR FLIGHT PLAN AND ENCOUNTERED LOW CEILINGS IN THE AREA OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE PILOT BEGAN MANEUVERING AROUND THE TERRAIN AND DURING A PERIOD OF OBSCURATION, COLLIDED WITH SEVERAL TREES. THE COMPANY OPERATIONS MANUAL SPECIFIES THAT THE PILOT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE FLIGHT; HOWEVER, PROCEDURES ARE INCLUDED THAT DETAIL THE DISPATCH RESPONSIBILITIES, DISSEMINATION OF WEATHER INFORMATION, AND THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS RESPONSIBILITY TO MONITOR AND CANCEL FLIGHTS IF NECESSARY.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S CONTINUED VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE FOG AND LOW CEILINGS, AND A FAILURE OF THE OPERATOR TO FOLLOW THEIR PROCEDURES SPECIFIED IN THE COMPANY OPERATIONS MANUAL.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/10/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 745 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | KETCHIKAN |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99903 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Partial - limited by pilot |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 751 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 135 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KTN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 88 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 28 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 1900 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 28 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 3 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 139 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 10 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 822 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:08PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6478H |
| NTSB Number | ANC95LA034 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 207A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 207A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 20700538 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 8 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1 |
| Airframe Hours | 16116 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KETCHIKAN AIR SERVICE INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1600 AIRPORT TERMINAL BUILDING |
| Aircraft Owner City | KETCHIKAN |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99901 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | EKQA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KTN |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 720 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | WRG |
| Destination City | WRANGELL |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |