Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Tyonek, Alaska 99682
Wednesday, May 27, 1998 14:00 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot and five passengers departed eastbound from a rural airstrip for a cross-country flight across high mountainous terrain. He had flown along the planned route of flight numerous times in the past and obtained pilot reports of weather conditions in several mountain passes that traversed the mountain range along the planned route. The weather reports included wind speeds of 40 knots with turbulence. An area forecast included AIRMETs for mountain obscuration, turbulence in all mountain passes, and icing conditions. The pilot said he was aware of the potential for turbulence over the mountains and climbed the airplane to 13,500 feet. When the flight approached the lee side of the pilot's planned crossing point over the mountains, the airplane encountered severe downdrafts. The pilot applied full power, but the airplane continued to descend toward blowing snow along the mountain ridge. The pilot said he had no alternative but to land into a snow bank. The airplane collided with snow covered terrain at 10,500 feet msl. The airplane's belly mounted cargo pod, and the landing gear were torn off the fuselage.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's continued flight into adverse weather conditions, and his inadequate in-flight planning/decision. Factors in the accident were weather conditions consisting of a mountain wave, and downdrafts.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/27/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | TYONEK |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99682 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| 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 | 1355 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 130 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ENA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 92 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 65 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 40 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| 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 | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 5 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 616 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 27 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1512 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 11:16AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5297U |
| NTSB Number | ANC98LA057 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| 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 | U2060297 |
| 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 | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 12 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILLIAM MERRILL JR. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3138 CASSIUS COURT |
| Aircraft Owner City | ANCHORAGE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99508 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | WARD H. SATTLER |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3605 ARCTIC BLVD. SUITE 503 |
| Operator City | ANCHORAGE |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 99503 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 23AK |
| Departure City | LIME VILLAGE |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MRI |
| Destination City | ANCHORAGE |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| 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 | -- |