History of Flight
On July 30, 2011, at about 1415 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped Cessna U206G (206), registration N756MP, and a float-equipped Cessna 180B (180), registration N5214E, collided midair near Amber Lake, approximately 16 miles southwest of Talkeetna, Alaska. Both flights were operated as personal visual flight rules (VFR) flights under 14 CFR Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions. The sole occupant of the Cessna 206, an airline transport pilot, was not injured. The private pilot and three passengers of the Cessna 180 received fatal injuries.
The Cessna 206 departed Sister Lake about 1400 en route to Amber Lake. The Cessna 180 departed Lake Hood Seaplane Base about 1330 en route to Amber Lake. After the collision, the Cessna 206 sustained minor damage to its left float and float spreader. The Cessna 180 entered an uncontrolled descent and was destroyed by ground impact and postcrash fire.
In a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) on July 31, the Cessna 206 pilot stated that while on approach to Amber Lake, he did not see the Cessna 180 coming from his right until the last seconds before impact. He pulled his airplane up and left to avoid the collision.
In a written statement dated August 8, the Cessna 206 pilot reported departing Sister Lake to the north with a right 270-degree turn due to terrain. His destination was Amber Lake less than a mile to the southwest. The lake elevation was approximately 450 feet above mean sea level (msl), and the weather was VFR. He flew over his cabin, placing him on a left downwind for Amber Lake on the north side. His altitude was between 900 and 1300 feet msl, and he had landing and taxi lights, strobes, and beacon on. His radio was tuned to 122.8 MHz for traffic advisories; he did not hear the Cessna 180 pilot on that frequency. He crossed the northeast end of the lake, scanned for traffic, and checked water conditions. While in a very slight right bank, he looked right as he rolled out. The other aircraft appeared on his right at the same altitude. He reacted by pulling the nose hard up and rolling left. After the collision, he called for help on 122.8 MHz and contacted Talkeetna radio on 123.6 and 121.5 MHz, giving the accident location. He circled to assess damage, noting strong vibration, need for right rudder and elevator input, and increased power to maintain altitude. He decided to land at Anchorage, where crash fire rescue was available. An aircraft flew alongside to assess damage, and he landed on a paved runway at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport without further difficulty.
During an on-scene interview on July 30, the wife of the Cessna 206 pilot said she saw a high-wing floatplane to the north transit east-northeast. After her husband departed north, she saw another high-wing floatplane crossing from the right/east. She thought it was the same airplane heading opposite. As the airplanes converged, she saw her husband's Cessna 206 pitch up and roll left, and they collided. They seemed suspended for a few seconds; she saw a flash and smoke as the unknown airplane descended trailing smoke.
Personnel Information
Cessna 206 Pilot: The pilot, age 56, held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and sea, and multi-engine land and sea. He had a first-class medical certificate issued February 18, 2011, with a limitation to wear glasses. He reported approximately 19,100 hours of flight experience and passed a currency check ride on July 9, 2011.
Cessna 180 Pilot: The pilot, age 41, held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and sea. He was issued a third-class medical certificate on July 30, 2007, with a limitation to wear corrective lenses. No personal flight records were found; FAA records indicated about 220 total hours, with 50 in the previous 6 months.
Aircraft Information
Cessna 206: Manufactured in 1977, equipped with a Continental Motors IO-520 series engine. At its last annual inspection on June 21, 2011, it had 2,530 hours. Its colors were white with red accent lines. It was equipped with AEROFLASH wingtip and tail strobe lights, which were operating at the time of the collision.
Cessna 180: Manufactured in 1959, equipped with a Continental Motors O-470 series engine. No logbooks were found. Its colors were white with burgundy and grey accent lines. According to a relative, it was equipped with RMB tail and wingtip strobe lights, and the pilot habitually flew with strobe lights on.
Meteorological Information
At 1353, the Talkeetna weather station (16 miles northeast) reported: wind 210 degrees true at 5 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky few at 3,500 feet; temperature 66°F; dew point 50°F; altimeter 29.77 inHg.
Communications
No air traffic control services were requested. The CTAF for the area south and west of the Parks Highway is 122.8 MHz per the FAA Alaska Supplement. The Cessna 206 pilot transmitted on 122.8 MHz. According to a pilot-rated family member of the Cessna 180 pilot, another pilot heard the Cessna 180 pilot making position reports on 122.9 MHz at the time of the accident; the family member stated that 122.9 MHz was the common practice for them at remote lakes. Both airplanes were operating in Class G airspace, with no regulatory requirement for two-way radio.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Cessna 206: Landed at a tower-controlled airport. Examination showed minor scars and a hole in its left float. The left wing section and aileron of the Cessna 180 were lodged in the left float assembly of the 206.
Cessna 180: Crashed vertically into a moderately wooded area next to a dirt road, within 300 feet of a lake adjacent to Amber Lake. Most of the passenger compartment and right wing were consumed by postcrash fire. The left wing was missing its outboard portion. The empennage was mostly intact. Control continuity could not be established due to fire. The three-bladed propeller broke off at the flange, showing torsional twisting and bending.
Medical and Pathological Information
Postmortem examination of the Cessna 180 pilot attributed cause of death to blunt force trauma and thermal injuries. Toxicological examination by the FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute on October 5, 2011, was negative for alcohol and drugs.
Additional Information
14 CFR 91.113 requires that when weather conditions permit, vigilance shall be maintained to see and avoid other aircraft. 14 CFR 91.103 requires pilots to become familiar with all available information before flight.
A review of CTAF frequencies in the area revealed two primary frequencies, 122.8 and 122.9 MHz, with overlapping boundaries due to high aerodrome concentration. Following the accident, the Mat Su Mid-Air Collision Avoidance Working Group was formed by FAA, AOPA, Alaska Airmen's Association, and other organizations to address inconsistencies in CTAF guidance.