What happened
On November 29, 2011, at approximately 1925 Alaska standard time, a Cessna 207 bearing registration N1673U crashed into wooded terrain roughly 2 miles southwest of the Chuathbaluk Airport in Alaska. The flight was being operated by Inland Aviation as a visual flight rules (VFR) positioning flight.
The flight departed Aniak Airport at approximately 1920. A witness at the destination airport reported that while the pilot had previously indicated visibility was too low to depart, he later advised that conditions had improved. However, shortly after the airport runway lights were activated at 1925, a significant increase in snow reduced visibility at the destination.
ADS-B data indicated that the aircraft climbed to approximately 700 feet above ground level (agl) after departure. At 1924:52, the aircraft entered a shallow left turn, followed by a shallow descending right turn that continued until the aircraft impacted trees at 1925:36. The pilot sustained 1 fatal injury.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage in a dense area of birch and spruce trees. The aircraft's engine was torn from the firewall, and the propeller had separated from the engine crankshaft. The right wing suffered extensive damage, including separation from the fuselage, while the left wing was displaced and partially torn.
An examination of the engine by Alaska Aircraft Engines, Continental Motors, Inc., and Cessna Aircraft Company found no evidence of mechanical malfunction or contamination. While the attitude and directional gyros were heavily damaged and contained black residue, no conclusive signs were found that the units were malfunctioning prior to impact. The engine-driven vacuum pump showed fractured vanes, but no pre-accident anomalies were identified that would have prevented normal operation.
Findings
Postmortem examination attributed the cause of death to multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicological analysis of the pilot showed 15 percent carbon monoxide and cotinine (a nicotine metabolite) in the blood, though the carbon monoxide levels were considered a likely product of heavy smoking rather than impairment. Maintenance records showed a 100-hour inspection had been completed on the morning of the accident.