Cessna 206 accident near Old Harbor, Alaska, July 26, 2002
On July 26, 2002 at about 6:38 pm local time, a Cessna 206, registered N756BW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Old Harbor, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 altitude/clearance from terrain during initial climb, which resulted in an in-flight collision with water. A factor associated with the accident was the pilot's diverted attention.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2002 · about 6:38 pm local time
- Place
- Old Harbor, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 206 · all 206s on the register
- Registration
- N756BW · no longer on the register · serial U20603969
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo airline transport pilot was departing in a float-equipped airplane on an on-demand air taxi flight. As the airplane climbed through 100 feet above the water, the pilot's attention was temporarily distracted when items from the airplane's map compartment fell onto the floor of the airplane. As he leaned over to the right side of the airplane to recover the items, the airplane descended, and the airplane's floats struck the surface of the water. The airplane bounced into the air, and the pilot continued his climb. A postaccident inspection revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage area near the float attachments. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 29 hours in all; 135 in this make and model; 235 in the last 90 days; 101 in the last 30 days; 2,760 as pilot in command; 281 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,979.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 14, 2002; 92.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520F (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Island Air
The flight
- Departed from: KMY Old Harbor AK at 1:38 pm
- Destination: ADQ Kodiak AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°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 N756BW 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.