Cessna 207 accident near Saint Mary'S, Alaska, December 13, 1994
On December 13, 1994 at about 5:10 pm local time, a Cessna 207, registered N7340U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Saint Mary'S, Alaska. 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE VISUAL FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT ARE THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE ALTITUDE/CLEARANCE FROM TERRAIN, AND THE WHITEOUT WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 1994 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Saint Mary'S, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207 · all 207s on the register
- Registration
- N7340U · registry record · serial 20700407
- 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 AIR TAXI PILOT REPORTED HE DEPARTED ST. MARY'S AIRPORT WITH ONE PASSENGER ABOARD. HE SAID HE WAS FLYING ABOUT 600' AGL ALONG THE SOUTH BANK OF THE YUKON RIVER, WHEN OPPOSITE DIRECTION TRAFFIC REPORTED INBOUND TO ST. MARY'S, ALSO FLYING ALONG THE SOUTH BANK. THE PILOT SAID HE ELECTED TO TRANSITION TO THE NORTH BANK TO AVOID TRAFFIC, BUT SOON ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS. HE SAID FORWARD VISIBILITY RAPIDLY DIMINISHED, AND HE ENTERED WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. WHILE TRYING TO KEEP VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE SHORELINE AND TREES, HE SAID HE INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO DESCEND UNTIL IT STRUCK SNOW COVERED TERRAIN.
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
- Flight time: 3,425 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 186 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 3,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,137 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 14, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSM AK at 5:05 pm
- Destination: MOU Mt. Village AK
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 135° at 5 knots
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°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 N7340U 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.