Cessna 207A accident near Russian Mission, Alaska, January 3, 1989
On January 3, 1989 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Cessna 207A, registered N7329U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Russian Mission, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 PARTIAL ENGINE POWER LOSS DUE TO UNDETERMINED REASONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S IMPROPER INFLIGHT PLANNING BY FLYING AT A TRAFFIC PATTERN ALTITUDE INSUFFICIENT TO INSURE A SAFE EMERGENCY LANDING EITHER ON OR OFF THE AIRPORT AND HIS MISJUDGEMENT OF CLEARANCE ABOVE THE FROZEN RIVER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 3, 1989 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Russian Mission, 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
- N7329U · no longer on the register · serial 20700403
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE COMMERCIAL AIR TAXI PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED FOLLOWING A FORCED LANDING. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE HAD FLOWN OVER HIS INTENDED LANDING SITE AT RUSSIAN MISSION, AK., TO INSPECT THE RUNWAY. ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, THE ENGINE OF CESSNA 207 LOST MOST OF ITS POWER. HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE SUFFICIENT POWER TO REMAIN AIRBORNE AND ELECTED TO LAND ON THE NEARBY, FROZEN, YUKON RIVER. HE SAID THAT HE MISJUDGED HIS ALTITUDE DURING THE LANDING APPROACH DUE TO THE FEATURELESS, ALL WHITE SURFACE OF THE RIVER, AND STRUCK THE SURFACE WHILE STILL IN A SLIGHT RIGHT TURN. INSPECTION OF THE CRASH SITE TWO DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED NUMEROUS ICE CRYSTALS IN THE LEFT FUEL TANK SUMP. NO OTHER OBVIOUS ABNORMALITIES WERE NOTED. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE ICE CRYSTALS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANK WERE CONTRIBUTORY TO THE ACCIDENT DUE TO THE LENGTH OF TIME BETWEEN THE SAMPLE AND THE ACCIDENT.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,650 hours in all; 2,205 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 71 in the last 30 days; 4,020 as pilot in command; 1,225 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, December 18, 1988
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ryan Air
The flight
- Departed from: KLG Kalskag AK
- Destination: RSH Russian Mission AK
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°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.
Other NTSB records under N7329U 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.