Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Yakutat, Alaska 99689
Saturday, August 31, 1996 12:20 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot had departed for a remote fiord in the amphibious float equipped airplane to pick up several passengers. The flight was reported overdue and search personnel located the airplane floating upside down in the area of the destination. The landing gear was extended. The front windshield was broken out and the pilot's seat belt was unbuckled. The pilot was not found and is presumed to have received fatal injuries. The pilot was the only pilot for the operator, and was the director of operations and the chief pilot.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's landing on the water with the landing gear inadvertently extended.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/31/1996
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1220
Event Time Zone --
Event City YAKUTAT
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99689
Event Date Year 1996
Event Date Month 8
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1430 Atlantic Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 215
Weather Observation Facility ID YAK
Elevation of weather observation facility 33
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 11
Time Zone of the weather observation ADT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 3300
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1700
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) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 143
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1516
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 31 1996 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1505
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 8 2000 10:16AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N7345N
NTSB Number ANC96FA139
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed Company VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 206
Aircraft Series Identifier 206
Aircraft Serial Number 20603623
Certified Max Gross Weight 3600
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 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Aug 23 1996 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 6
Airframe Hours 1329
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name TOTEM AIR INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 51
Aircraft Owner City YAKUTAT
Aircraft Owner State AK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99689
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 T4TA
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 --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Positioning
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code YAK
Departure City
Departure State AK
Departure Country
Departure Time 1200
Departure Time Zone ADT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City RUSSELL FIORD
Destination State AK
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
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 --