Boeing 737-200 incident near Unalaska, Alaska, February 13, 1991
On February 13, 1991 at about 4:39 pm local time, a Boeing 737-200, registered N672MA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Unalaska, Alaska (Unalaska airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 46 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE WINDSHEAR ENCOUNTERED ON SHORT FINAL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE RISING TERRAIN WITHIN 150 FEET OF THE RUNWAY, THE VARIABLE NATURE OF THE WIND DUE TO THE RISING TERRAIN, AND THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN LATERAL CONTROL DURING THE GO AROUND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 13, 1991 · about 4:39 pm local time · cases in 1991
- Place
- Unalaska, Alaska · Unalaska · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 46 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737-200 · all 737-200s on the register
- Registration
- N672MA · registry record
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE RUNWAY ALIGNS FROM THE SOUTHEAST TO THE NORTHWEST AND WITHIN 150 FEET EAST OF THE RUNWAY IS A 1,634 FOOT HIGH MOUNTAIN. THE WIND WAS FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 14 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 25 KNOTS. THE LANDING THRESHOLD FOR RUNWAY 30 WAS DIRECTLY DOWNWIND OF THE MOUNTAIN. DURING THE FINAL APPROACH, THE FIRST OFFICER NOTICED A PLUS 30 KNOT DEVIATION IN THE AIRSPEED AND CALLED FOR THE CAPTAIN TO INITIATE A GO AROUND. THE CAPTAIN HAD ALREADY APPLIED POWER WHEN THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO SINK AND ROLL TO THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT WING TIP SCRAPED THE RUNWAY SURFACE DURING THE GO AROUND.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 104,000 lb
- Seats: 50
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT8D (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Operator: Markair, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ANC Anchorage AK at 2:30 pm
- Destination: DUT Unalaska AK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 3, 3,800 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 15 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from DUT, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 4 | |||
| Passengers | 42 |
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N672MA on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Boeing 737 2,896 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Boeing 6,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P&W JT8D 82 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Unalaska Airport · nearest airport
- Ted Stevens Anchorage International · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 825 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,142 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC91IA028.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.