Cessna 207A accident near Kobuk, Alaska, October 23, 2001
On October 23, 2001 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 207A, registered N7384U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kobuk, Alaska (Kobuk airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from objects during the initial climb after takeoff, and subsequent collision with a tree. A factor was the presence of trees along the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 2001 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kobuk, Alaska · Kobuk · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207A · all 207As on the register
- Registration
- N7384U · registry record · serial 20700431
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot departed a remote airport for a cross-country flight to his home base. During the departure, the pilot said he heard a loud bang, but said he did not see what he struck. While in cruise flight after departure, the pilot noticed damage to the leading edge of the right wing. He then landed at an interim airport, and telephoned a company mechanic. After a discussion with the mechanic, the pilot continued the flight to his base. Company personnel initially attributed the wing damage to a bird strike. Company maintenance personnel decided the wing damage was greater than minor. A temporary patch was fashioned, and the airplane was ferried to the company maintenance facility. When repairs were started, company maintenance personnel noted that the impact location on the right wing contained wood splinters. During a subsequent visit with the NTSB IIC, the pilot produced photographs of the damaged wing. The wing, just outboard of the lift strut, had aft crushing and vertical tearing of the leading edge material. Company maintenance personnel reported the wing repair consisted of replacement of the leading edge. Review of the runway environment revealed 25 to 30 feet high trees along both sides, and near the end of the departure airport.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 739 hours in all; 220 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 24, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 25,038 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 7, 2001; 56 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OBU Kobuk AK at 4:00 pm
- Destination: PAOT Kotzebue AK
- Runway 27, 2,360 ft by 58 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°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.
Other NTSB records under N7384U the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.