Fairchild SA227-AC and Cessna 207A incident near Dillingham, Alaska, June 26, 1992
On June 26, 1992 at about 9:00 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Fairchild SA227-AC (N620PA) and Cessna 207A (N75941), were involved in the same incident near Dillingham, Alaska (Dillingham airport). No one was hurt; 13 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE VISUAL LOOKOUT THAT WAS NOT MAINTAINED BY THE PILOT OF THE OTHER AIRPLANE. FACTORS WERE THE DRIZZLE AND FOG AND THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF UPDATING THE RECORDED WEATHER INFORMATION BY ATC PERSONNEL.
THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A VISUAL LOOKOUT. FACTORS WERE THE DRIZZLE AND FOG AND THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF UPDATING THE RECORDED WEATHER INFORMATION BY ATC PERSONNEL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 1992 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Dillingham, Alaska · Dillingham · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 13 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft 1
- Fairchild SA227-AC · all SA227-ACs on the register
- Registration
- N620PA · no longer on the register · serial AC 533
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 207A · all 207As on the register
- Registration
- N75941 · no longer on the register · serial 20700656
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative for the Fairchild SA227-AC final · quoted from the NTSB record
PENAIR FLIGHT 4266 WAS CLEARED FOR A LOCALIZER DME APPROACH TO RUNWAY 19. THE AIRPLANE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 800 FEET MSL AT 4.8 DME FROM THE AIRPORT. THE CREW IMMEDIATELY SAW AN AIRPLANE DIRECTLY IN FRONT, AND AFTER EVASIVE ACTION THE AIRPLANES PASSED WITHIN 100 FEET OF EACH OTHER. THE SPECIAL WEATHER OBSERVATION, TAKEN ONE MINUTE PRIOR TO THE NEAR MID AIR BUT NOT YET TRANSMITTED, SHOWED THE CONTROL ZONE BELOW VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, THE PREVIOUS HOURLY OBSERVATION, AND THE MOST CURRENT TRANSMITTED OBSERVATION, SHOWED THAT THE CONTROL ZONE WAS UNDER VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 207A final · quoted from the NTSB record
PENAIR FLIGHT 4266 WAS CLEARED FOR A LOCALIZER DME APPROACH TO RUNWAY 19. THE AIRPLANE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 800 FEET MSL AT 4.8 DME FROM THE AIRPORT. THE CREW IMMEDIATELY SAW AN AIRPLANE DIRECTLY IN FRONT, AND AFTER EVASIVE ACTION THE AIRPLANES PASSED WITHIN 100 FEET OF EACH OTHER. THE SPECIAL WEATHER OBSERVATION, TAKEN ONE MINUTE PRIOR TO THE NEAR MID AIR BUT NOT YET TRANSMITTED, SHOWED THE CONTROL ZONE BELOW VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, THE PREVIOUS HOURLY OBSERVATION, AND THE MOST CURRENT TRANSMITTED OBSERVATION, SHOWED THAT THE CONTROL ZONE WAS UNDER VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.
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 for the Fairchild SA227-AC from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 200 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 1900
- Maximum gross weight: 14,500 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331-10 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Peninsula Airways, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ANC Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19, 6,404 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:59 pm from DLG, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 10 |
The factual record for the Cessna 207A 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
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 1900
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: DLG
- Runway 19, 6,404 ft by 150 ft
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 N620PA 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.