N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Nightmute, Alaska 99690
Friday, September 2, 2011 13:35 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A Cessna 208B and a Cessna 207 collided in flight in daylight visual meteorological conditions. The Cessna 208B and the Cessna 207 were both traveling in an easterly direction. According to the Cessna 207 pilot, the airplanes departed from two neighboring remote Alaskan villages about the same time, and both airplanes were flying along similar flight routes. While en route, the Cessna 207 pilot talked with the Cessna 208B pilot on a prearranged, discreet radio frequency, and the two agreed to meet up in flight for the return to their home airport. The Cessna 207 pilot said that the pilot of the Cessna 208B flew his airplane along the left side of her airplane while she was in level cruise flight at 1,200 feet mean sea level and that they continued to talk via the radio. Then, unexpectedly and unannounced, the pilot of the Cessna 208B maneuvered his airplane above and over the top of her airplane. She said that she immediately told the Cessna 208B pilot that she could not see him and that she was concerned about where he was. She said that the Cessna 208B pilot then said, in part: "Whatever you do, don't pitch up." The next thing she recalled was seeing the wings and cockpit of the descending Cessna 208B pass by the right side of her airplane, which was instantly followed by an impact with her airplane's right wing. She said that after the collision, the Cessna 208B passed underneath her airplane from right-to-left before beginning a gradual descent that steepened as the airplane continued to the left. It then entered a steep, vertical, nose-down descent before colliding with the tundra-covered terrain below followed by a postcrash fire. Unable to maintain level cruise flight, the Cessna 207 pilot selected an area of rolling, tundra-covered terrain as a forced landing site. An examination of both airplanes revealed impact signatures consistent with the Cessna 208B's vertical stabilizer impacting the Cessna 207's right wing. A portion of crushed and distorted wreckage, identified as part of the Cessna 208B's vertical stabilizer assembly, was found embedded in the Cessna 207's right wing. The Cessna 208B's severed vertical stabilizer and rudder were found about 1,000 feet west of the Cessna 208B's crash site.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance while performing an unexpected and unannounced abrupt maneuver, resulting in a midair collision between the two airplanes.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/2/2011
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1335
Event Time Zone --
Event City Nightmute
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99690
Event Date Year 2011
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator Yes
On Ground Collision occurred ? --
Event Location Latitude 603620N
Event Location Longitude 1643555W
Event Location Airport N/A
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 Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1253 Atlantic Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 90
Weather Observation Facility ID PAOO
Elevation of weather observation facility 59
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 12
Time Zone of the weather observation ADT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 1100
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions --
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) 8
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 6
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 130
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 14
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.84
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 32020
NTSB Notification Source ANC FAA ROC
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Nov 7 2013 2:36PM
User who most recently changed record stam
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft #2

Aircraft Registration Number N207DR N73789
NTSB Number ANC11FA091A ANC11FA091B
Missing Aircraft Indicator -- --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed Company VFR Company VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? Yes Yes
Damage Destroyed Substantial
Aircraft Fire Ground None
Aircraft Explosion None None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA CESSNA
Aircraft Model 208B T207A
Aircraft Series Identifier -- --
Aircraft Serial Number 208B0859 20700629
Certified Max Gross Weight -- --
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 12 8
Number of Engines 1 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Aug 21 2011 12:00AM Aug 3 2011 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 46 47
Airframe Hours 8483 19563
ELT Installed Yes Yes
ELT Activated Yes Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No No
ELT Type C126 C91-A
Aircraft Owner Name DESERT ROSE AVIAITON LLC RYAN AIR INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1733 KODIAK CIR 5701 SILVERADO WAY UNIT L
Aircraft Owner City RENO ANCHORAGE
Aircraft Owner State NV AK
Aircraft Owner Country USA USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 89511-3012 99518
Operator is an individual? No No
Operator Name Grant Aviation RYAN AIR INC
Operator Same as Owner? No Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As -- --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No Yes
Operator Street Address P.O. Box 92200 5701 SILVERADO WAY UNIT L
Operator City Anchorage ANCHORAGE
Operator State AK AK
Operator Country USA USA
Operator Zip code 99509 99518
Operator Code -- --
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? -- --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation -- --
Operator Certificate Number -- --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Non-scheduled Non-scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Cargo Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) -- --
Second Pilot on Board No No
Departure Point Same as Event No No
Departure Airport Code OOK 4AK
Departure City Toksook Bay Tununak
Departure State AK AK
Departure Country USA USA
Departure Time 1330 1326
Departure Time Zone ADT ADT
Destination Same as Local Flt -- --
Destination Airport Code BET BET
Destination City Bethel Bethel
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 Nov 7 2013 2:33PM Nov 7 2013 2:38PM
User who most recently changed record stam stam
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection Last Inspection
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 -- --