Alon A-2 (Aircoupe) accident near Ketchikan, Alaska, August 17, 2003
On August 17, 2003 at about 9:32 pm local time, a Alon A-2 (Aircoupe), registered N6520Q, was destroyed in an accident near Ketchikan, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Undetermined. .
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 2003 · about 9:32 pm local time
- Place
- Ketchikan, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Alon A-2 (Aircoupe) · all A-2 (Aircoupe)s on the register
- Registration
- N6520Q · no longer on the register · serial A-120
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated private pilot and the sole passenger departed in a single-engine, wheel-equipped airplane for a flight over extensive areas of ocean waters, en route to a remote coastal community. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the point of departure, and a VFR flight plan was filed by the pilot. Marginal VFR meteorological conditions prevailed along the pilot's intended flight path. The accident airplane did not reach the intended destination, and was not located at any en route airport. Search personnel from Canada and the United States conducted an extensive search effort that included aircraft, surface vessels, and ground search personnel. The search was suspended on August 27, 2003. The airplane, pilot, and passenger remain missing.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CYZT Port Hardy at 8:32 pm
- Destination: KTN Ketchikan AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.