Cessna 207 accident near Kotzebue, Alaska, April 17, 1996
On April 17, 1996 at about 8:53 pm local time, a Cessna 207, registered N6282H, was destroyed in an accident near Kotzebue, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to maintain sufficient altitude/clearance above terrain, after becoming spatially disoriented, while maneuvering after takeoff. Factors relating to the accident were: fog, snow, partial obscuration, 'flat' conditions of light, and the lack of a distinct horizon over ice/snow covered terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 1996 · about 8:53 pm local time
- Place
- Kotzebue, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207 · all 207s on the register
- Registration
- N6282H · no longer on the register · serial 20700465
- Damage
- Destroyed
- 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 was departing a remote airport to begin a VFR cargo flight. The departure path took the airplane over ice covered terrain. The airport was considered to be below basic VFR conditions with light snow and fog, and the visual conditions in the area were considered to be 'flat' with the visibility from 2 to 3 miles. The pilot received a special VFR clearance out of the control zone by a flight service station specialist. After departure, witnesses observed the airplane climb to an estimated 500 feet above the ground and turn to the right. Shortly thereafter, the airplane banked to the right about 90 degrees, then descended to the ground in a wing and nose low attitude. A postaccident inspection of the airframe and engine did not reveal any mechanical malfunction.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,815 hours in all; 175 in this make and model; 195 in the last 90 days; 84 in the last 30 days; 1,639 as pilot in command; 1,100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,367 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 25, 1996; 92 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OTZ at 3:52 pm
- Destination: WLK Selawik AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 7 knots
- Sky: overcast
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from OTZ, 1 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.
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.