Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Nunapitchuk Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Nunapitchuk, Alaska 99641
Tuesady, March 25, 1997 11:23 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot of Cessna 207A, N800GA, was returning to his company base, passing about 2 miles north of a remote airstrip that was along the route of flight. The airstrip did not have any control tower. [Communications around an uncontrolled airport are conducted on a common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF)]. The pilot of a Short SC7, N451SA, announced his departure from the same airstrip on the CTAF, and took off in a northerly direction. He then began a climbing right turn toward the same destination as the Cessna 207A was proceeding. The two airplanes collided in mid-air, about 1.49 nautical miles east-northeast of the airstrip, which was about 18.3 miles west of their destination. They were observed spiraling downward from about 800 ft above the ground. Both airplanes were found lying flat and upright on a frozen lake, entangled together at the accident site. The Cessna's burned wreckage was lying on top of (and positioned toward the aft third of) the burned wreckage of the Short SC7.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
inadequate visual look-out by the pilots of both airplanes, which resulted in their failure to see-and-avoid each other's airplanes.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/25/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1123 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | NUNAPITCHUK |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99641 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | NUNAPITCHUK |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 16A |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 54 |
| Airport Elevation | 12 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1051 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 100 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BET |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 123 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 18 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 60 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 12 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 906 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 25 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1125 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:09PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N451SA | N800GA |
| NTSB Number | ANC97FA037A | ANC97FA037B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Short Brothers | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | SC7 | 207A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | SC7 | 207A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | SH-1972 | 20700495 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 12500 | 3800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 17 1997 12:00AM | Feb 15 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 23 | 61 |
| Airframe Hours | 7473 | 10193 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ARCTIC AIR GROUP | GRANT AVIATION INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 190228 | 203 W. 15TH, SUITE 204 |
| Aircraft Owner City | ANCHORAGE | ANCHORAGE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99519 | 99501 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- | -- |
| Operator Name | ARCTIC CIRCLE AIR SERVICE INC. | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | ||
| Operator City | ||
| Operator State | ||
| Operator Country | ||
| Operator Zip code | ||
| Operator Code | ACSA | ENHA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown | 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 | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 16A | SCM |
| Departure City | SCAMMON BAY | |
| Departure State | AK | |
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 1120 | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BET | BET |
| Destination City | BETHEL | BETHEL |
| Destination State | AK | AK |
| Destination Country | ||
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 36 | 36 |
| Runway Length | 2040 | 2040 |
| Runway Width | 60 | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |