Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ruth Glacier, Alaska 99676
Saturday, May 9, 1992 10:50 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
BOTH AIRPLANES WERE ON SIGHTSEEING FLIGHTS AT ABOUT 9,200 FT MSL. THE PILOT OF THE CE-172, N73813, STATED THAT HE WAS HEADING APRX NORTHWEST, LOOKED AT MT. MCKINLEY, AND AS HE RETURNED HIS GAZE FORWARD HE SAW THE OTHER AIRPLANE AHEAD AND SLIGHTLY HIGHER BEFORE THE COLLISION. THE PILOT OF THE CE-185, N1047F, STATED THAT SHE HAD JUST FINISHED MAKING A RADIO TRANSMISSION INDICATING HER POSITION WHEN SOME OF THE PAX SAW THE OTHER AIRPLANE; SHE ESTIMATED THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS FLYING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND SLIGHTLY LOWER. THE ALASKA SUPPLEMENT IN EFFECT AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE STATED THAT FREQUENCY 122.7 IS DESIGNATED FOR INTER AIRCRAFT COMMUNICATIONS IN DENALI PARK, THE AREA IN WHICH MT. MCKINLEY IS LOCATED. THE PILOT OF THE CE-172 WAS NOT AWARE OF THE FREQUENCY. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT OF THE CE-185, THE CE-172 BLENDED IN WITH THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN WHICH CONSISTED OF VERTICAL GRANITE WALLS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOTS OF BOTH AIRPLANES TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT OF THE CE-172 TO BECOME AWARE OF AND TO USE THE LISTED FREQUENCY FOR INTER AIRCRAFT COMMUNICATIONS, AND THE REDUCED VISUAL ACUITY OF THE CE-172 AGAINST THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/9/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1050 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | RUTH GLACIER |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99676 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| 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) | 65 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 10 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 10 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 535 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 47860 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 2:54PM |
| 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 | N73813 | N1047F |
| NTSB Number | ANC92FA069A | ANC92FA069B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- | -- |
| Damage | Substantial | Minor |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172 | 185 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172 | 185 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17267693 | 1852704 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 | 3350 |
| 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 | 4 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 23 1991 12:00AM | Mar 30 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 96 | 80 |
| Airframe Hours | 2584 | 5869 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | USAF ELMENDORF AERO CLUB | DOUGLAS E. GEETING |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 292 | BOX 42 |
| Aircraft Owner City | ELMENDORF AFB | TALKEETNA |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | ||
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99506 | 99676 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- | -- |
| Operator Name | USAF ELMENDORF AERO CLUB | DOUGLAS GEETING AVIATION |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 292 | BOX 42 |
| Operator City | ELMENDORF AFB | TALKEETNA |
| Operator State | AK | AK |
| Operator Country | ||
| Operator Zip code | 99506 | 99676 |
| Operator Code | INYC | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | 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 | -- | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | No |
| Departure Airport Code | EDF | TKA |
| Departure City | ELMENDORF AFB | TALKEETNA |
| Departure State | AK | AK |
| Departure Country | ||
| Departure Time | 915 | 1002 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | TKA | TKA |
| Destination City | TALKEETNA | TALKEETNA |
| Destination State | AK | AK |
| Destination Country | ||
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |