Cessna 208 accident near Cape Sabine, Alaska, September 1, 1994
On September 1, 1994 at about 2:30 am local time, a Cessna 208, registered N9825F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cape Sabine, Alaska (Cape Sabine airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING, INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE WIND CONDITIONS, NOT FOLLOWING PROCEDURES AND DIRECTIVES, AND OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITIES, AND THE OPERATORS INADEQUATE SURVEILLANCE OF THE OPERATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 1994 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Cape Sabine, Alaska · Cape Sabine · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208 · all 208s on the register
- Registration
- N9825F · no longer on the register
- 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 FLEW A SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE UNDER 14 CFR PART 135 IN IMC CONDITIONS WITH A PASSENGER ON BOARD THROUGH THE USE OF A GPS. HE LET DOWN THROUGH AN OVERCAST USING THE GPS AT A LOCATION WHERE NO INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE WAS AVAILABLE. HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND THE AIRPLANE AND STRUCK A WING WHILE CROSSING THE RUNWAY AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. HE MADE TWO OTHER ATTEMPTS BEFORE SUCCESSFULLY LANDING THE AIRPLANE WITH THE PASSENGER'S HELP.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,975 hours in all; 110 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 3,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 792 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 30, 1994; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6-114 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OTZ Kotzebue AK at 8:05 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 20, 2,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 N9825F 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.