Cessna 208B accident near Togiak, Alaska, October 2, 2016
On October 2, 2016 at about 7:57 pm local time, a 1995 Cessna 208B, registered N208SD, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Togiak, Alaska (Togiak airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew's decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into deteriorating visibility and their failure to perform an immediate escape maneuver after entry into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). Contributing to the accident were (1) Hageland's allowance of routine use of the terrain inhibit switch for inhibiting the terrain awareness and warning system alerts and inadequate guidance for uninhibiting the alerts, which reduced the margin of safety, particularly in deteriorating visibility; (2) Hageland's inadequate crew resource management (CRM) training; (3) the Federal Aviation Administration's failure to ensure that Hageland's approved CRM training contained all the required elements of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations 135.330; and (4) Hageland's CFIT avoidance ground training, which was not tailored to the company's operations and did not address current CFIT-avoidance technologies.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 2016 · about 7:57 pm local time
- Place
- Togiak, Alaska · Togiak · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208B, built 1995 · all 208Bs on the register
- Registration
- N208SD · no longer on the register · serial 208B0491
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The NTSB's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AccidentReports.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-18/02. On October 2, 2016, about 1157 Alaska daylight time, Ravn Connect flight 3153, a turbine-powered Cessna 208B Grand Caravan airplane, N208SD, collided with steep, mountainous terrain about 10 nautical miles northwest of Togiak Airport (PATG), Togiak, Alaska. The two commercial pilots and the passenger were killed, and the airplane was destroyed. The scheduled commuter flight was operated under visual flight rules by Hageland Aviation Services, Inc., Anchorage, Alaska, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at PATG (which had the closest weather observing station to the accident site), but a second company flight crew (whose flight departed about 2 minutes after the accident airplane and initially followed a similar route) reported that they observed unexpected fog, changing clouds, and the potential for rain along the accident route. Company flight-following procedures were in effect. The flight departed Quinhagak Airport, Quinhagak, Alaska, about 1133 and was en route to PATG.
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
- VFR encounter with IMC during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute (cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Flight crew
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Flight crew
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Below VFR minima › Decision related to condition
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Below VFR minima › Response/compensation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Response/compensation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Contributed to outcome
- factor Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › Adequacy of policy/proc › Operator
- factor Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Training › CRM/MRM training › Operator
- factor Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Training › CRM/MRM training › FAA/Regulator
- factor Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Training › (general) › Operator
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Navigation system › Ground proximity system › Not used/operated
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Navigation system › Ground proximity system › Related operating info
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Navigation system › Ground proximity system › Capability exceeded
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Navigation system › Ground proximity system › Design
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Communication system › VHF/HF radio › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Meteorological services › Meteo equip coverage/avail › Not specified
- Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Safety programs › (general) › FAA/Regulator
- Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Safety programs › (general) › Other institution/organization
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Indicating/recording systems › Data recorders (flight/maint) › Not installed/available
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,481 hours in all; 781 in this make and model; 271 in the last 90 days; 102 in the last 30 days; 6,181 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 7, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 273 hours in all; 84 in this make and model; 84 in the last 90 days; 83 in the last 30 days; 139 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 3, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20,562.1 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 15, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 7,449 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6-114A (turboprop); 1,165 hours total
- Operator: Hageland Aviation Services INC
The flight
- Departed from: PAQH Quinhagak AK
- Destination: PATG Togiak AK
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,700 ft; scat at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
81 documents, released by the NTSB on August 17, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.