Cessna 207A accident near Twin Hills, Alaska, September 26, 1997
On September 26, 1997 at about 9:06 pm local time, a Cessna 207A, registered N9984M, was destroyed in an accident near Twin Hills, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Improper in-flight planning/decision by the pilot, and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude over mountainous terrain. Factors related to the accident were downdraft conditions, mountainous/hilly terrain, and the use of over-the-counter medications.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 1997 · about 9:06 pm local time
- Place
- Twin Hills, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207A · all 207As on the register
- Registration
- N9984M · no longer on the register · serial 207-00774
- 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 flight departed with 180 pounds of cargo after deplaning a passenger. Three company pilots overheard the accident pilot report that he was 13 minutes from his destination. The overdue aircraft was located by company airplanes about 700 feet MSL, on the east (downwind) side of an 890 feet msl pass. The airplane impacted on a 330 degree heading and perpendicular to the axis of the canyon/pass (oriented east-west), in a flat attitude, with no ground scars leading to the wreckage. No anomalies were found with the airplane, and all blades on the propeller exhibited torsional twisting and leading edge gouging. A westerly wind of seven to nine knots existed and numerous pilots reported the mountain passes were not obscured by clouds. Photographs from the pilot's camera depicted views of the accident canyon, with the pass and accident site above the altitude from which the photographs were taken. These photographs contained the date of the accident. Numerous depressant and stimulant, over-the-counter cold and asthma medications were found in the pilot's flight bag. Toxicological tests detected several over-the counter medications used for cold and asthma symptoms with illness effect of distraction or sensory disturbance. As a result of the condition for which the drugs were ingested may have also played a role in the accident.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,470 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 329 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 6,900 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,089 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 28, 1997; 84 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F48B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Yute Air Alaska, INC
The flight
- Departed from: 17Z Manakotak AK at 3:50 pm
- Destination: TOG Togiak AK
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,300 ft; scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from PAT, 18 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.
Other NTSB records under N9984M 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.