Alaska Coastal Airlines Flight 60 Accident (N67794)

Flight Details and Departure Alaskan Coastal Airlines Flight 60 departed Sitka, Alaska, at 1153, with Captain James C. Rinehart at the controls. The flight carried four passengers, cargo, mail, and baggage, with a planned route to Juneau via Pelican City and Hoonah. The dispatcher in Juneau issued clearance for the flight to proceed under Defense Visual Flight Rules (DVFR) to Hoonah, with instructions to wait for improved weather if necessary. The estimated fuel consumption for the journey was 60 gallons, with a 20-gallon reserve upon arrival. The aircraft's gross weight at takeoff was 1,401 pounds, 30 pounds below the maximum allowable limit. ## Incident and Search The flight landed at Pelican City at 1235, where two passengers deplaned and 88 pounds of baggage, mail, and cargo were removed, while 159 pounds of cargo were added. No refueling occurred. The pilot reported by radio that the flight departed Pelican City at 1305 en route to Hoonah, which was the last radio contact. When the flight became overdue, search operations were initiated, and the Coast Guard was notified at 1655. The following morning at approximately 0800, a private aircraft pilot located the wreckage in a mountain pass several miles southeast of Pelican City. A Coast Guard and civilian ground rescue party arrived on the afternoon of November 5, providing first aid to the two surviving passengers. The survivors and the pilot's body were evacuated by helicopter on November 6. ## Probable Cause and Findings The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was the loss of control of the aircraft during a steep turn in severe turbulence while the pilot was attempting to conduct visual flight at less than the required altitude and weather minimums. The weather conditions within the pass included rain, fog, severe turbulence, and a low ceiling, with clouds extending about halfway down the 3,000-foot mountain slopes. The aircraft crashed one-fourth mile south of the pass's summit, approximately 1,500 feet above mean sea level, after the pilot had navigated about three miles of the 10-mile pass. The aircraft struck the ground on a west heading at a sharp bend, having encountered strong turbulence in a steep left bank at low altitude. The pilot had reversed course at the time of the accident. The two passengers survived, but the pilot was fatally injured. Alaska Coastal Airlines flights in this type of aircraft were restricted to DVFR operations, and the company's operations manual specified that the pass must be flown at 3,000 feet altitude. The pilot was attempting to negotiate the pass at a lower altitude and in weather conditions below DVFR requirements.