2011 Cessna 207 Mountain Crash in Alaska (N91099)

Accident Overview and Flight Details On August 13, 2011, at approximately 1940 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 207 airplane, registration N91099, impacted mountainous, brush-covered terrain about 37 miles west of McGrath, Alaska. The aircraft was operated by Inland Aviation Services, Inc., based in Aniak, Alaska, as a 14 CFR Part 135 visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand charter flight. The flight originated at McGrath Airport at approximately 1915 and was en route to Anvik Airport before continuing to Aniak. Of the six people aboard, the pilot and one passenger died at the scene, while four passengers sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. ## Weather and Operational Context Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the departure point, but instrument meteorological conditions were reported along the flight route. A passenger stated that about 20 minutes after departure, low clouds, rain, and fog restricted visibility as the flight entered mountainous terrain. The passenger reported that the pilot descended close to the ground, climbed, and descended again before the aircraft entered whiteout conditions. The passenger recalled seeing a mountainside suddenly appear out of the fog just before impact. ## Search and Rescue The pilot carried a SPOT satellite personal tracker, which sent an emergency SOS message to family members in Wasilla, Alaska, at approximately 2030. A family member alerted the operator. When the aircraft failed to arrive in Aniak by 2045, company personnel initiated a search. The FAA issued an alert notice at 2200. Search and rescue personnel from the Air National Guard's 210th Air Rescue Squadron tracked an analog 121 MHz emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal to the area, but poor weather prevented access until the following morning. An HH-60G helicopter evacuated all personnel the next day. ## Aircraft and Personnel Information The pilot, age 66, held a commercial pilot certificate with multiple ratings and a second-class medical certificate issued on December 23, 2009. The pilot had 25,000 total flight hours, including 10,000 in the accident aircraft type. The aircraft had 31,617.7 total flight hours, with a 100-hour inspection completed on July 18, 2011. Wreckage examination revealed no mechanical problems. The aircraft was equipped with ADS-B/Capstone technology, and archived flight data confirmed the passenger's account of the flight path and altitude.