This is why you don't make descending turns close to the ground in whiteout conditions...

Gump

On November 14, 2008, about 1710 Alaska Standard time, a Cessna 207 airplane, N36CF, sustained
substantial damage when it collided with terrain while maneuvering for landing at Napaskiak,
Alaska. The airplane was then consumed by a postcrash fire. The airplane was being operated as a
visual flight rules (VFR) commuter flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred.
The airplane was operated as Flight 555, by Flight Alaska, dba Yute Air Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska.
The commercial certificated pilot received minor injuries. The sole passenger was not injured.
Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the area of the accident, and VFR company flight
following procedures were in effect. The flight originated at the Quinhagak Airport, Quinhagak,
Alaska, about 1615, and was en route to Bethel, Alaska.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
investigator-in-charge (IIC), on November 17, the director of operations for the operator reported
that numerous flights from Bethel had been canceled or delayed due to poor weather earlier in the
day. The weather conditions improved in the afternoon with a ceiling of about 1,500 feet, and a
visibility of 7 miles, and the pilot departed Bethel at 1452 for his first destination, Eek,
Alaska. After departure, the pilot decided not to land at his first destination because of low
visibility, and continued to Quinhagak. The pilot encountered light icing conditions while en
route, and deiced the airplane after landing at Quinhagak.
The pilot departed Quinhagak with his passenger about 1615, and told the director of operations
that the Bethel Airport was reporting a ceiling of 500 feet overcast, with a visibility of 5 miles.
After departure, the weather at Bethel deteriorated, and the pilot decided to land at Napaskiak.
While maneuvering over the Napaskiak Airport, the pilot began a descending left turn toward the
approach end of runway 02. The airplane stalled and mushed to the ground, about 250 feet short of
the runway threshold. It collided with tall brush and the ground, and a postcrash fire erupted as
the pilot and passenger were exiting the airplane.
During a telephone conversation with the NTSB IIC on November 17, the pilot reported that when he
arrived over the airport at Napaskiak, he was about 200 feet agl, and the visibility was about 1
mile. He indicated that the airplane had accumulated some ice. He said he began a left turn for the
runway, but the left wing stalled, and the airplane mushed into the ground.
The closest weather reporting facility is Bethel, which is located about 5 miles northwest of the
accident. At 1705, an aviation routine weather report (METAR) was reporting, in part: Wind, 190
degrees (true) at 8 knots; visibility, 3/4 statute mile in mist; clouds and sky condition, 500 feet
broken, 1,600 feet broken, 2,900 feet overcast; temperature, 21 degrees F; dew point, 21 degrees F;
altimeter, 29.79 inHg.

the good news here "as the pilot and passenger were exiting the airplane"
planes are like doritos, they'll make more....fly 'er to the ground...

From a now old guy flying in this stuff still working at BET...

Gump

Yep, that's pretty much the conditions. The kicker is that morning both director and owner of the company were in to hold a safety meeting. Much was said about no pressure to fly in weather.

I had a flight up river--but decided not to go from KKI to TLT because of freezing mist right to the ground, and because I had to pickup 5 pax.(didn't want to have to trim willows with passengers on board), so I returned to Bethel at tree top level to stay out of the freezing stuff. Later, I did another flight to PKA to drop off 2 pax then had to hold for a SE special...being the only one in the hold I orbited in a clear spot about a mile in diameter and got cleared in just as it disappeared. Got in with just over 1/8" of ice, and I stayed out of it as much as possible!

The guy that crashed charlie fox was a newbie and I'm afraid he did the right thing (tongue planted firmly in cheek... As in FAR's. Gump) and probably stayed at 500 feet, right in the stuff. You know, carrying pax and all, you have to abide by the rules! Did too tight a turn...maybe a bit of top rudder and that was all it took. Another newbie was in 80U, out about the same time and for as long, and did a Tunt. run picked up about an inch and said he almost stalled two or three times coming back. I think this guy was very lucky he stalled into the willows. 50 feet shorter and he would have impacted the ice.

The next day was much nicer!

Gump, all I can say is you and your boys up north have balls of solid rock.

gb

Yeah, and brains of solid rock too......

Gump

jomac wrote:the good news here "as the pilot and passenger were exiting the airplane"
planes are like doritos, they'll make more....fly 'er to the ground...

There's a big difference in fly 'er to the ground, and fly 'er into the ground.

Gump

Operative terms when talking to NTSB: "Visibility about 1 mile" and "the airplane had accumulated some ice"

He and his passenger were VERY fortunate. He was also lucky he didn't have a full load of pax.

Dancing with the Devil...ain't it grand?

MTV

MTV.....Have you danced with the Devil ??

Oh, yeah....

I do like to think that I've "matured" since, however....

MTV

mtv wrote:Dancing with the Devil...ain't it grand?

Those days are long gone (yeah, I know, never say never), but nowdays they couldn't pay me enough to do that crap. And what gets me is, we used to think it was fun and did it for damn near nothing.

Gump

First of all, I am glad everyone made it out alive......

I too have flown out of Bethel for a very long time and now out of Nome. My question: I am loaded with ice and in the crud. Why not land straight in to Napaskiak from the South?????? Hell, I'd take 30 knots on the tail and fight it out on the ground......

I was at another crash in the Napaskiak years ago, same thing.....

Again, Glad they are all alive..

Mike

Your right....don't miss it a bit

Mike heard the BOT burned down awhile back is that true ??

DonC:

Not a chance. The BOT is alive and well. What would Nome do without that institution...... With 9 bars and 11 churches, we are right where we want to be....

Mike

ahh the BOT and the breakers, now that brings back some good memories.

Used to love that barber chair in The Breakers or was the Polaris...hard to fall out of

That sucks...I used to bend wrenches on that airplane back at the "old" Yute Air...at that time it was the highest time 207 operating in the world and had never had a serious accident. It was acutally a pretty nice place, ugly paint (it wasn't Yute Yellow then...but I don't like Yute Yellow either).

Glad to hear everyone is okay but sad to see another 207 gone