Cessna 337C accident near Marshall, Alaska, July 1, 2000
On July 1, 2000 at about 6:20 am local time, a Cessna 337C, registered N63MR, was destroyed in an accident near Marshall, Alaska (Marshall airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's attempted takeoff with known deficiencies in equipment (an inoperable rear engine) and an inadvertent stall. Factors associated with the accident were the pilot's improper retraction of the landing gear, his over confidence in the airplane's ability, and his impairment from an over-the-counter cold/allergy drug.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 2000 · about 6:20 am local time
- Place
- Marshall, Alaska · Marshall · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337C · all 337Cs on the register
- Registration
- N63MR · no longer on the register · serial 337-0915
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was unable to start the aft engine. A witness suggested the pilot delay the flight until a new starter could be obtained. The pilot insisted he could takeoff, and said he had performed single engine takeoffs previously in the airplane. He chose a point on the dry, 1,940 feet long, 90 feet msl, gravel runway where he would abort if the airplane was not airborne. The witness said that as the airplane passed the abort point, the nose wheel was lifting off the ground. The airplane climbed to about 50 feet, the wings rocked slightly, and the airplane passed out of sight behind a low hill and impacted in a lake. The pilot received fatal injuries. There is no published procedure for taking off with either engine inoperative. The landing gear was retracted in-flight, and the gear doors were shut. The rear propeller was not feathered. The emergency procedures for a single-engine failure after takeoff or during climb states, in part: 'Single-engine climb performance with the rear engine operating is better than with the front engine operating by approximately 85 FPM....The landing gear should not be retracted until all immediate obstacles are cleared, regardless of which engine is out....Airplane drag with the landing gear doors opened and the gear partially extended is greater than the drag with the landing gear fully extended. Corresponding rate-of-climb penalties are -240 ft/min and -110 ft/min respectively.' The best rate of climb airspeed is 100 mph. The performance specifications provided in the Cessna 337C Owner's Manual for rate of climb are in part: 'Rate of climb at sea level, 4,000 pounds gross weight, best rate of climb airspeed, landing gear retracted, rear engine feathered, front engine operating only = 425 ft/min.' Postmortem toxicology samples from the pilot revealed the presence of Chlorpheniramine, an over-the-counter medication which causes drowsiness and impairs cognitive and motor tasks.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,556 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,387 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 22, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 4,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MLL at 1:15 am
- Destination: UNK Unalakleet AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 1,940 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.