Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Coldfoot, Alaska 99711
Sunday, August 24, 2014 12:40 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On August 24, 2014, about 1240 Alaska daylight time, a Ryan Navion A airplane, N4827K, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while maneuvering in Atigun Pass, approximately 15 nautical miles northeast of Coldfoot, Alaska. The airplane was operated by Kirst Aviation, Fairbanks, Alaska, as an on-demand sightseeing flight under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. The commercial pilot and three passengers were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Fairbanks International Airport about 1003.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records the pilot earlier that day had filed a VFR flight plan indicating that he intended to depart from Fairbanks, then stop at Bettles, Deadhorse, Barter Island, Alaska, before returning to Fairbanks. He indicated that he had approximately 7 hours and 20 minutes of fuel on-board. The accident occurred during the flight between Bettles and Deadhorse.
According to witnesses, just prior to the accident, the airplane was observed flying slowly in a northerly direction, in the vicinity of Antigun pass at low altitude, following the contours of the surrounding terrain "like he was looking for game." The engine could be heard to be "running strong." Moments later the airplane was observed to impact sloping terrain at approximately 4,700 feet above mean sea level on the east side of the Dalton Highway, then slide about 35 feet across the loose rock of the slope.
On August 26, 2014 two Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety inspectors from the Fairbanks Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) traveled to the accident scene to examine of the wreckage. The inspectors reported that they were unable to find any preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage.
The FAA safety inspectors reported that the fuselage was twisted, bent, and displayed areas of significant crush and compression damage. The engine was canted approximately ten degrees down from its normal mounted position, both propeller blades had separated from the propeller hub, and the wings were impact damaged.
A detailed NTSB wreckage examination is pending following the wreckage recovery.
First responders reported that at the time of the accident visibility in the area of the pass was in excess of 10 miles with scattered clouds at approximately 12,000 feet, and the wind out of the northeast at 4 to 7 knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/24/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1240 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | Coldfoot |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99711 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 680432N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1491750W |
| 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 AKD |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 212 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ABT |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 647 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 85 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AKD |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.87 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 4 |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA AALROCC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 10 2014 6:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4827K |
| NTSB Number | ANC14LA068 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | RYAN |
| Aircraft Model | NAVION A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | NAV-4-1827 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 14 2014 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4027 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KIRST FOREST M |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | FAIRBANKS |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 997073621 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Kirst Aviation |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Fairbanks |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 997073621 |
| Operator Code | K70A |
| Owner has at least one certificate | 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 |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Passenger Only |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PABT |
| Departure City | Bettles |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ASC |
| Destination City | Deadhorse |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 10 2014 6:27PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | Yes |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |