Cessna 337C accident near Golovin, Alaska, February 25, 1997
On February 25, 1997 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Cessna 337C, registered N2615S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Golovin, Alaska. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's continued flight into adverse weather conditions, and failure to maintain sufficient distance/altitude from terrain. Low ceiling, flat light condition, and the ice pressure ridge were related factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 1997 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Golovin, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337C · all 337Cs on the register
- Registration
- N2615S · no longer on the register · serial 3370915
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was en route to his intended landing point over a portion of frozen ocean ice in a twin engine, centerline thrust airplane. He was flying about 100 feet above the ice to remain below an area of low and obscured ceilings. Visibility was about 6 miles, but flat light conditions prevailed. While in cruise flight, the airplane suddenly collided with an unknown object. The front engine developed a severe vibration, and the pilot was unable to feather the engine. He continued to the intended destination and landed without further damage. An inspection of the airplane revealed that the front engine propellers were bent aft about 14 inches. The blades struck the nose gear support structure. The right step was torn from the airplane and produced about a 12 inch gouge in the fuselage. The pilot was informed by local residents, that a large ice pressure ridge had formed in the area of the accident. The ice ridge, as reported to the pilot, was estimated at 35 to 40 feet high.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 19,375 hours in all; 475 in this make and model; 76 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 19,220 as pilot in command; 4,880 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,424 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 18, 1996; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,630 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UNK Unalakleet AK at 7:45 pm
- Destination: GLV AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 135° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.