Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Sitka, Alaska 99835
Thursday, August 18, 1988 6:20 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE ON A FLIGHT FROM SITKA TO ROWAN BAY, ALASKA, THE PILOT FLEW UP A VALLEY INTENDING TO CROSS A PASS WHOSE ELEVATION WAS 2745 FEET MSL. UPON APPROACHING THE PASS THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED CLOUDS WHICH PREVENTED HIS TRANSIT. THE PILOT THEN EXECUTED A 180 DEGREE RIGHT COURSE REVERSAL AND AT SOME POINT NEAR THE COMPLETION OF THE MANEUVER AND IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE STEEP TERRAIN ALONG THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE PASS THE PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO ENTER A STALL CONDITION. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE 40 DEGREE SLOPED TERRAIN IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN, NEAR WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE AND WITH A STEEP FLIGHT PATH.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/18/1988
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 620
Event Time Zone --
Event City SITKA
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99835
Event Date Year 1988
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 549 Atlantic Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 301
Weather Observation Facility ID SIT
Elevation of weather observation facility 21
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 15
Time Zone of the weather observation ADT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 3500
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) 12
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 14
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 7
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 90
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 589
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 18 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1145
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 36457
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:04PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Unknown
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N64398
NTSB Number SEA88FA156
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name de Havilland
Aircraft Model DHC-2 MARK 1
Aircraft Series Identifier DHC-2 MARK
Aircraft Serial Number 251
Certified Max Gross Weight 5090
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 8
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Aug 13 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 36
Airframe Hours 13985
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name BELLAIR, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 371
Aircraft Owner City SITKA
Aircraft Owner State AK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99835
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address PO BOX 371
Operator City SITKA
Operator State AK
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 99835
Operator Code GSBA
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 AK29
Departure City SITKA
Departure State AK
Departure Country
Departure Time 608
Departure Time Zone ADT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code RWB
Destination City ROWAN BAY
Destination State AK
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
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 --