Accident Summary
On August 27, 2020, at approximately 1353 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 185 (registration N714KH) and a Piper PA-18 (registration N7498L) were involved in a collision near Fairbanks, Alaska. The Cessna 185 was destroyed, and the PA-18 sustained substantial damage. The pilot and one passenger on the Cessna 185 were fatally injured, while another passenger on the Cessna suffered serious injuries. The pilot of the PA-18 also sustained serious injuries. The Cessna 185 was operated by Flying Moose Alaska as a Title 14 CFR Part 135 on-demand charter flight, transporting two hunters from a remote camp back to Chena Marina Airport (AK28). The PA-18 was operated as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, departing AK28 for Bradley Sky-Ranch Airport in North Pole, Alaska.
Sequence of Events
AK28 is an uncontrolled airport located about 3 miles west of Fairbanks International Airport (FAI), within FAI's Class D airspace. Pilots arriving or departing AK28 are required to contact FAI air traffic control (ATC) before entering the Class D airspace. At 1344:24, the Cessna pilot reported to FAI tower that he was 14 miles north of Fairbanks inbound to AK28. The tower controller instructed him to proceed to Chena Marina and advise down. The Cessna was not equipped with a transponder, but primary radar showed it entered a left downwind for runway 36 and turned base to final.
The PA-18 pilot reported completing his preflight, starting the engine, and monitoring the FAI tower frequency. He taxied to the north end of the airport to fuel, then returned to the south end for a north takeoff. He did not recall hearing any traffic at AK28 nor seeing any. After performing an engine runup and checking the automatic terminal information service, he pulled off the side of the runway facing east.
At 1352:19, as the Cessna turned from base to final, the PA-18 pilot transmitted his intentions to FAI tower for a north takeoff and southeast departure. The tower controller responded: "report airborne off chena marina traffic on short final is a sky wagon." The PA-18 pilot replied, but his transmission was partially unintelligible. He later stated he did not recall the traffic advisory. The tower then advised the Cessna: "skylane four kilo hotel traffic departing chena marina super cub northbound." At 1352:38, the Cessna pilot replied, "Yeah I'm right over him four kilo hotel." No further communications were received.
The PA-18 pilot recounted that before taxiing onto the runway, he looked north, south, then north again. He heard the tower ask another pilot if he had an airplane in sight, and the other pilot affirmed. Although the PA-18 pilot thought the other airplane was not at AK28, he checked for traffic again. After taking off, he reached for the microphone to report airborne when he heard a loud crack, and the airplane began turning left and descending. He recalled being on the ground and seeing another airplane crash about 30 yards away.
Multiple witnesses at AK28 heard the collision and assisted the occupants, including helping a passenger out of the Cessna before it was consumed by fire.
Aircraft and Wreckage Information
Neither aircraft was equipped with automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B), nor were they required to be. The Cessna 185 had no preimpact failures or malfunctions identified during examination. The PA-18 pilot normally wore hearing aids but used a noise-cancelling headset without hearing aids while flying.
A home surveillance video captured the moments after the initial collision from about 70 ft above ground level. The Cessna descended while rolling left, impacting in a nose-down inverted attitude heading east, then sliding north about 20 ft. The PA-18 simultaneously descended vertically in a flat attitude with its wings folding upward, coming to rest on a west heading. The debris field began about 255 ft south of the PA-18, mainly consisting of PA-18 plexiglass and small parts. The Cessna came to rest about 107 ft north of the PA-18 and became engulfed in flames soon after impact.
The Cessna's fuselage was consumed by postimpact fire from the front of the horizontal stabilizer to the firewall. The empennage showed thermal damage. Both wings sustained fire damage; the right wing's outboard section remained partially attached. The engine had thermal damage; two propeller blades exhibited S-bending and leading edge gouges, and the third blade was bent aft with a separated tip. Flight controls were continuous.
The PA-18's horizontal and vertical stabilizers and rudder sustained impact damage. Both wings separated from the fuselage and had propeller slash marks near the wing roots—eight on the right wing, five on the left—indicating an angle of about 10° relative to the longitudinal axis. The pilot's shoulder harness separated near its upper attach point and showed features consistent with having been cut by the propeller. Aileron and flap continuity was established.
Regulatory Context
Title 14 CFR 91.113 requires vigilance to see and avoid other aircraft and gives aircraft on final approach the right-of-way over aircraft in flight or on the surface. The FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge recommends that pilots at nontowered airports announce positions on the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF). AK28's CTAF was 118.3 MHz, and both pilots were in contact with FAI tower on that frequency. A 2000 letter of agreement between the FAA and the Chena Marina Float Pond and Runway Association stated that radio transmissions of pattern positions at Chena Marina were strongly discouraged unless requested by FAI tower.