Beech 18 accident near Brevig Mission, Alaska, December 23, 1989
On December 23, 1989 at about 8:50 pm local time, a Beech 18, registered N220H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Brevig Mission, Alaska (Brevig Mission airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS OF POWER IN THE THE RIGHT ENGINE FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON. THE ROUGH/UNEVEN TERRAIN WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 1989 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Brevig Mission, Alaska · Brevig Mission · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 18
- Registration
- N220H · registry record · serial BA609
- 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 PLT RPRTD THE RIGHT ENG BEGAN TO LOSE POWER, SO HE DIVERTED TO BREVIG, AK. DRG ARRIVAL, HE DID NOT LIKE THE APPROACH & ELECTED TO GO AROUND. HE STATED THAT AS HE WENT TO FULL POWER, THE RIGHT ENGINE 'QUIT ALTOGETHER.' THE PLT FEATHERED THE RIGHT PROP & RETRACTED THE GEAR & FLAPS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE ACFT FROM SETTLING TO THE GROUND. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE LANDED THE ACFT ON TUNDRA & IT WAS DAMAGED. NEITHER THE ACFT NOR THE ENGS WERE RECOVERED FROM THE ACDNT SITE.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,563 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 106 in the last 30 days; 9,763 as pilot in command; 400 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,759 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 22, 1989; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OME Nome AK at 8:15 pm
- Destination: Teller AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 2,400 ft by 180 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 5°F (-15°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N220H 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.