History of Flight
On July 27, 2017, about 0923 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Cessna U206G airplane, N1749R, impacted remote, tree-covered terrain while en route to a remote lodge on the Mulchatna River, about 12 miles northeast of Port Alsworth, Alaska, in the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. The commercial pilot and sole occupant sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed by a postcrash fire. The airplane was registered to Laughlin Acquisitions, LLC, Anchorage, Alaska and was being operated by Alaska Skyways, Inc., dba Regal Air, Anchorage, Alaska, as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 visual flight rules on-demand cargo flight. Instrument meteorological conditions were reported in the vicinity of the accident site at the time of the accident, and company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated from the Lake Hood Seaplane Base, Anchorage, Alaska, about 0800.
The operator reported that the purpose of the flight was to deliver 334 pounds of lumber and insulation to the Kautumn Lodge on the Mulchatna River, about 29 miles northeast of Koliganek, Alaska, and would conclude with a return flight to LHD with three passengers onboard. The Kautumn Lodge is about 245 miles southwest of LHD. Upon leaving LHD and departing to the southwest, the route of flight consisted of tree-covered terrain. Continuing past Tyonek, Alaska to the southwest is the south to north oriented mountainous terrain of the Alaska Range, which also encompasses the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.
The airplane was equipped with a Spidertracks Spider 6 system, providing the operator real-time information at 10-minute intervals. Review of data showed that before entering the Alaska Range, the airplane was at an altitude of 7,523 ft above mean sea level at 124 knots at 0839. Remaining data points showed 7,494 ft and 125 knots at 0849, 7,609 ft and 127 knots at 0859, and 3,954 ft and 135 knots at 0909. The airplane was also equipped with an Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast system. ADS-B data terminated near the second-to-last Spidertracks data point.
At 0924, the operator received a call from the U.S. Air Force Alaska Rescue Coordination Center indicating a signal from the airplane's 406-MHz emergency locator transmitter. An aerial search discovered the burning wreckage about 1030 in a forested area of the Miller Creek drainage, about 85 miles northeast of the Kautumn Lodge.
Personnel Information
The operator's pilot training records showed no deficiencies. The pilot had completed all required training and was current, including a competency check ride on May 22, 2017. This was the pilot's first season working for the operator as a pilot and his first season as a pilot in Alaska. All his experience for the operator was based out of LHD as a dockhand for two summer seasons. The pilot was qualified and current to fly wheel and float-equipped Cessna 206 and float-equipped de Havilland DHC-2. According to the operator, at the time of the accident the pilot had 20 hours total of actual instrument experience and 84 hours total of simulated instrument experience.
The director of operations is listed in the Regal Air General Operations Manual as president and vice-president/secretary and is also the owner. This was his 18th year with the company and 11th year working as a pilot and DO. Prior to and at the time of the accident, the DO was out of the country on personal leave. The office manager, employed for 8 years, held a private pilot certificate but never flew for the operator. The DO reported that the office manager, acting as duty officer, was exercising operational control over the accident flight.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was configured for cargo operations with a belly cargo pod installed. It was not equipped with a terrain awareness and warning system, onboard weather system, nor was it instrument flight rules equipped or certified. None were required.
Meteorological Information
Closest official weather observation station was Port Alsworth Airport (TPO), about 12 miles southwest. A METAR at 0650 included calm wind, 10 statute miles visibility, few clouds at 300 ft, broken ceiling at 1,500 ft, temperature 55°F, dew point 54°F, altimeter 29.94 inches of mercury, with remarks "estimate pass closed" (referring to Lake Clark Pass). A National Weather Service flying weather graphic issued at 0400 showed the area as forecast marginal VFR conditions.
Images from FAA weather camera station Lake Clark Pass West, about 30 minutes before departure, indicated complete mountain obscuration conditions with low visibility and higher terrain obscured by clouds. Similar conditions were present at the time of the accident. A witness pilot reported very foggy conditions with about ½ mile visibility until 0830 when fog started to break up, and by 0930 the sun was breaking through. He departed about 1000 and observed fog extending through Lake Clark Pass with about a 300 ft ceiling.
No record was found of the pilot obtaining an official weather briefing from FAA Flight Service or DUATS. The office manager checked a private camera in Port Alsworth showing "bright blue sky" and the FAA weather camera at Lake Clark Pass West noting "some fog" but said it looked like fog right over the camera because everywhere else was blue sky. He also reviewed a weather report from the Kautumn Lodge reporting "great flying weather." The office manager and pilot did not assess the TPO METAR before departure. The chief pilot checked weather and felt there were no conditions the pilot could not handle.
The Regal Air GOM did not require pilots or operational control individuals to receive an official weather briefing, nor did it require joint assessment of weather.
Wreckage and Impact Information
On July 28, 2017, NTSB investigator-in-charge, FAA inspector, and Alaska State Troopers traveled to the accident site via helicopter. The site, about 920 ft above mean sea level, was in a forested valley surrounded by steep, mountainous terrain, about ¼-mile southeast of the Kijik River. All components were found at the main wreckage site. The airplane came to rest wings-level on a magnetic heading about 100°. Portions of broken windscreen, magnetic compass, and Spidertracks unit were scattered forward. Wreckage aft of the firewall, outboard to both wing roots and to the mid-empennage, was destroyed by fire. Left wing tip was separated. Right wing tip and outboard section separated with impact damage. Both fuel tanks compromised by fire, no fuel observed. Lower portion of engine buried in dirt, top portion no signs of preimpact damage. Propeller blades exhibited varying degrees of impact damage, attached to crankshaft flange. The ELT was found aft of mid-empennage with heavy fire damage.
A wreckage examination on October 5, 2017, revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe and engine.
Additional Information
FAA Advisory Circular AC 61-134 discusses controlled flight into terrain risk, noting that operating in marginal VFR/IMC conditions is commonly known as scud running. The NTSB safety study "Aviation Safety in Alaska" discusses bush syndrome, defined as an attitude of air taxi operators, pilots, and passengers ranging from casual acceptance of risks to willingness to take unwarranted risks. The study also notes that VFR flight into IMC usually involves poor pilot decision making. The FAA's report on human factors in Alaska accidents lists factors associated with poor pilot decision-making in VFR into IMC accidents, including poor situation assessment, faulty risk perception, inappropriate motivations, decision framing, and problem-solving set.
The FAA Safety Team document explains benefits of using a flight risk assessment tool, noting that attempting risk assessment "in our heads" usually does not account for actual risk exposure.