Cessna 207 accident near Dillingham, Alaska, July 20, 1992
On July 20, 1992 at about 5:22 pm local time, a Cessna 207, registered N9975M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dillingham, Alaska. 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
THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL LOOKOUT AND CLEARANCE FROM TERRAIN. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT DIVERTED HIS ATTENTION TO SECURE A LOOSE FIRE EXTINGUISHER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 1992 · about 5:22 pm local time
- Place
- Dillingham, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207 · all 207s on the register
- Registration
- N9975M · no longer on the register · serial 20700772
- 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 PILOT BENT DOWN TO RETRIEVE THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER BETWEEN HIS FEET AND TO REPLACE IT IN THE BRACKET LOCATED UNDER THE PILOT'S SEAT. WHEN HE LOOKED UP HE SAW A HILL IN FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE. HE PULLED UP AND THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE HILL BUT CONTINUED TO FLY. HE PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE AND ADDED FULL POWER AND THE AIRPLANE ENTERED THE CLOUDS. HE NOTICED HE WAS ABOUT TO STALL THE AIRPLANE SO HE LOWERED THE NOSE AND THE AIRPLANE IMMEDIATELY STRUCK THE HILL AGAIN AND NOSED OVER.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 1,700 as pilot in command; 265 on instruments
- 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: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Markair Express INC.
The flight
- Destination: KGK New Koliganek AK
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:35 pm from DLG, 15 miles away
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 N9975M 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.