Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Port Alsworth, Alaska 99653
Sunday, July 10, 2011 13:15 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Two airplanes, a Cessna and a Piper, collided midair in a mountain pass while traveling in opposite directions. The pass is a river valley, about 1/2-mile wide, with the floor about 1,000 feet mean sea level (msl), between mountains in excess of 5,000 feet msl. Neither pilot saw the other airplane in time to take evasive action. Both airplanes landed safely after the collision. The airplanes were operating in visual flight rules meteorological conditions, in uncontrolled airspace at about 2,300 feet msl, without any air traffic control services. The westbound Cessna sustained minor damage to its left float and the eastbound Piper sustained substantial damage to its vertical stabilizer and rudder.
The Cessna pilot reported that he was monitoring the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) for the pass and making position reports. He saw the opposing airplane pass under his left front and heard a loud “thump.” The Cessna was equipped with wingtip- and tail-mounted strobe anticollision lights, which were operating at the time of collision.
The Piper pilot reported that when he spotted the Cessna floatplane he did not have time to take evasive action. He was not monitoring the CTAF, and the airplane he was flying had no anticollision wingtip strobes or any forward-facing lights.
A local Federal Aviation Administration publication contains a graphic representation of the pass, and includes remote communications outlets, weather cameras, reference points, and a CTAF for the pass.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s failure to see and avoid the approaching airplane, which did not have any forward-facing lights.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/10/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1315 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Port Alsworth |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99653 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | Yes |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 603328N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1531821W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 10 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.11 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 13 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29966 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Anchorage, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 8 2013 1:13PM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
||
|---|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
Aircraft #2 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2186F | N76RA |
| NTSB Number | ANC11FA062A | ANC11FA062B |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- | -- |
| 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? | Yes | -- |
| Damage | Minor | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | U206 | PA-31-350 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | U2060386 | 31-7752089 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3300 | 7368 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 | 8 |
| Number of Engines | 1 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- | Jun 27 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- | 12311 |
| ELT Installed | Yes | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CREAMER DONALD G JR | LAKE CLARK AIR INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | ANCHORAGE | PORT ALSWORTH |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99516-7559 | 99653 |
| Operator is an individual? | No | No |
| Operator Name | CREAMER DONALD G JR | LAKE CLARK AIR INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- | -- |
| Operator City | ANCHORAGE | Anchorage |
| Operator State | AK | AK |
| Operator Country | USA | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99516-7559 | 99502 |
| Operator Code | -- | HXXC |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- | HXXC892E |
| 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 | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No | No |
| Departure Airport Code | LHD | 9K2 |
| Departure City | Anchorage | Kokhanok |
| Departure State | AK | AK |
| Departure Country | USA | USA |
| Departure Time | 1210 | 1254 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | -- | MRI |
| Destination City | Brooks Camp | Anchorage |
| Destination State | AK | AK |
| Destination Country | USA | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 25 2012 12:34PM | May 25 2012 12:33PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | -- | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- | -- |
| Runway Width | -- | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No | No |
| Medical Flight | -- | -- |