Cessna 207 accident near Napaskiak, Alaska, November 14, 2008
On November 14, 2008 at about 9:10 pm local time, a Cessna 207, registered N36CF, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Napaskiak, Alaska (Napaskiak airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued flight into adverse weather and icing conditions, and his failure to maintain sufficient airspeed to avoid a stall, resulting in a loss of control and in-flight collision with terrain while on an approach to land.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 2008 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- Napaskiak, Alaska · Napaskiak · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207 · all 207s on the register
- Registration
- N36CF · no longer on the register · serial 20700269
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to the accident flight, the operator reported that numerous flights from their base had been canceled or delayed due to poor weather earlier in the day. The weather improved in the afternoon, and the pilot departed on a commuter flight for his first destination, but did not land because of low visibility. The pilot continued to his second destination, and encountered light icing conditions while en route. After landing at his second stop, he deiced the airplane. The pilot then departed on the accident flight to return to his base, where the weather was reported as a ceiling of 500 feet overcast, with a visibility of 5 miles. After departure, the weather at the destination deteriorated, and the pilot decided to divert to an airport about 5 miles from his base. While maneuvering over the airport for landing, the pilot began a descending left turn toward the approach end of runway. The airplane stalled and mushed to the ground, about 250 feet short of the runway threshold. A postcrash fire erupted as the pilot and passenger were exiting the airplane. The pilot reported that when he arrived over the accident airport, the airplane had accumulated some ice, he was about 200 feet agl, and the visibility was about 1 mile. At the time of the accident, the destination airport was reporting, in part, a visibility of 3/4 statute mile in mist, 500 feet broken, with a temperature and dew point of 21 degrees F.
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
What happened, in order
- Structural icing during enroute
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to structural icing › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › (general) › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,481 hours in all; 836 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 73 in the last 30 days; 2,220 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 29, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 32,600 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 5, 2008; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520F (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: PAQH Quinhagak AK at 8:25 pm
- Destination: PAPK Napaskiak AK
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 500 ft
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 9:05 pm from PABE, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N36CF 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.