Cessna 207 accident near Holy Cross, Alaska, May 6, 1993
On May 6, 1993 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 207, registered N70364, was destroyed in an accident near Holy Cross, Alaska. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER ALTITUDE. THE TREES WERE A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 1993 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Holy Cross, 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
- N70364 · no longer on the register · serial 00550
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT LOOKING AT BIRDS OUT THE LEFT SIDE COCKPIT WINDOW HE OBSERVED PERIPHERALLY A 'WHITE FLASH' FILL THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FORWARD WIND SCREEN FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY AN AUDIBLE 'THUMP'. THE AIRPLANE BEGAN AN UNCONTROLLABLE DESCENT AND YAW TO THE RIGHT. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN SMOOTHLY. ADVANCING THE ENGINE POWER CONTROLS HAD NO NOTICEABLE AFFECT ON HIS ABILITY TO ARREST THE DESCENT. THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE VISITED THE ACCIDENT SITE. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND OF A BIRD STRIKE. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS SURROUNDED BY TALL (WHITE) BIRCH TREES. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS NOT SURE WHAT HE STRUCK AND THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A TREE.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,395 hours in all; 1,470 in this make and model; 139 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 5,205 as pilot in command; 1,519 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,801 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, April 26, 1993; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SHX Shageluk AK at 6:18 pm
- Destination: ANI Aniak AK
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 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 N70364 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.