Amateur-built SX-300 accident near Sitka, Alaska, March 7, 1997
On March 7, 1997 at about 6:11 pm local time, a amateur-built SX-300, registered N357SX, was destroyed in an accident near Sitka, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to properly evaluate the presence of icing conditions, and his failure to comply with procedures to use alternate engine air in icing conditions. Factors relating to the accident were: icing (weather) conditions, the pilot's improper application of emergency procedures to maximize available glide distance, and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 1997 · about 6:11 pm local time
- Place
- Sitka, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SX-300
- Registration
- N357SX · no longer on the register · serial 57
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The homebuilt airplane was being operated as an IFR cross-country flight over mountainous/coastal terrain. While cruising at 14,000 ft, about 19 miles from the nearest airport, the pilot encountered a low engine power condition. He declared an emergency, & was given vectors to the airport. The airplane was capable of gliding about 24 miles from 14,000 ft, but was ditched in the ocean, about 5 miles from the airport. The occupants did not egress from the airplane before it sank. The airplane engine had a ram air/alternate air box attached to the fuel control servo which controlled the engine air source. Ram air was unheated & unfiltered, & was to be used when operating in clear/dry air conditions. Alternate air was heated & filtered, & was to be used during an engine emergency, takeoff & landing, when flying in dusty air, or when in conditions where inlet icing could be expected (visual moisture & temperatures of 40 deg F or below). The airplane's air control was found in the ram air position. Weather conditions near the accident site included a temperature & dew point of 35 deg with snow & ice pellets. Upper air conditions along the route of flight included temperatures between -28 to -45 deg C, & humidity levels between 69 & 81 percent. An AIRMET had been issued for the area. It included a caution for light & temporary moderate icing in clouds & in precipitation from 1,000 ft to 12,000 ft. The freezing level was 1,000 ft. The pilot was provided a PIREP that indicated a trace of ice had been encountered in the area.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 1,050 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,021 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 31, 1996; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-L1C5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KTN Ketchikan AK at 5:10 pm
- Destination: SXQ Soldotna AK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 074° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from SIT, 5 miles away
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.
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.