Cessna 207A accident near Hoonah, Alaska, December 31, 2008
On December 31, 2008 at about 2:40 pm local time, a Cessna 207A, registered N39AK, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Hoonah, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to ensure that the aft cargo door was properly latched and locked prior to departure, which resulted in an in-flight opening of the aft cargo door and subsequent damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2008 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Hoonah, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207A · all 207As on the register
- Registration
- N39AK · registry record · serial 20700597
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot departed on a VFR commuter flight when about 10 minutes after takeoff the aft cargo door opened. The door, which is hinged to open in a rearward direction, struck the right side of the fuselage, producing structural damage to the fuselage and door. The flight continued to its destination and landed without incident. No cargo or mail was lost during the event. According to the airplane's information manual, the forward cargo door is opened first. The aft door can then be opened by grasping the red handle on the forward edge of the door, and pulling downward to release its locking pawls. The cargo doors may be locked from the inside or outside, and the airplane manual states that "Both doors must be securely closed and the forward door locked prior to flight..." During a telephone conversation with the NTSB Investigator-In-Charge, the director of maintenance for the operator reported that during his postaccident inspection of the airplane, he did not detect any malfunction of the cargo door latch mechanism.
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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Miscellaneous/other during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Cargo/baggage doors › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incomplete action › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Crew member
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,250 hours in all; 1,950 in this make and model; 125 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 23, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26,106 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 1, 2008; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Alaska Juneau Aeronautics Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: PAJN Juneau AK at 2:29 pm
- Destination: PAOH Hoonah AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 5°F (-15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.68 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from PAOH, 7 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 N39AK 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.