Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ambler, Alaska 99786
Thursday, December 10, 1987 21:00 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PLT OF THE AIR TAXI CARGO FLT WAS OPERG AT NIGHT IN MARGINAL VFR CONDS WHEN THE ACFT STRUCK RISING TERRAIN. THE ACFT WAS FND THE NEXT DAY AT APRX 1000 AST, SOME 15 MI OFF THE INTENDED ROUTE. THE PLT WAS UNCONSCIOUS & SUFFERING FM HYPOTHERMIA & OTHER INJURIES. HE WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL, BUT DIED LATER THAT DAY. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT STRUCK THE SOUTH SIDE OF BISMARK MTN AT APRX 2100' MSL WHILE IN LVL FLT. ANOTHER PLT, WHO WAS FLYING IN THE AREA ABOUT 2-1/2 HRS AFTER THE ACDNT, RPRTD THAT CLASSIC WHITE-OUT CONDS EXISTED WITH MOD SNOW FALL & ICE CRYSTALS RDCG FWD VIS TO LESS THAN 1/2 MI. THE PLT (OF N9979M) HAD BEEN RECENTLY HIRED BY BERING AIR & HAD ONLY ABOUT 23 HRS OF KNOWN FLT TIME IN THE GENERAL AREA. AT THE TIME OF EMPLOYMENT, HE INDCD HE HAD APRX 1536 HRS OF FLT TIME; HOWEVER, ONLY 446 HRS OF FLT TIME WAS VERIFIED BY HIS LOGBOOK & OTHER SOURCES. MIN FLT TIME TO ACT AS A PIC IN THE AIR TAXI OPN WAS 500 HRS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/10/1987 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 2100 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | AMBLER |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99786 |
| Event Date Year | 1987 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| 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 | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Obscured |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| 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) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Moderate |
| 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) | 1644 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 11 1987 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2100 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 34850 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 26 2001 8:04AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9979M |
| NTSB Number | ANC88FA020 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 207A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 207A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 20700773 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 22 1987 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 40 |
| Airframe Hours | 3343 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BERING AIR INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 1650 |
| Aircraft Owner City | NOME |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99762 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | BERING AIR, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P. O. BOX 1650 |
| Operator City | NOME |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 99762 |
| Operator Code | FXTA |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | Z60 |
| Departure City | KOTZEBUE |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SHG |
| Destination City | SHUNGNAK |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 26 2001 8:04AM |
| 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 | -- |