Cessna 208 accident near Nome, Alaska, May 14, 1998
On May 14, 1998 at about 11:25 pm local time, a Cessna 208, registered N192AV, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nome, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured and 6 people had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Factors in the accident were low ceilings, whiteout conditions, and snow covered terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 1998 · about 11:25 pm local time
- Place
- Nome, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 6 people had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208 · all 208s on the register
- Registration
- N192AV · no longer on the register · serial 20800215
- 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 certificated airline transport pilot, and nine passengers departed on a scheduled VFR commuter flight for a destination about 160 miles south of the departure airport. The terminal forecast for the destination airport, located in Class E airspace, was indicating a visibility greater than six miles, with scattered clouds at 2,500 feet. Temporary conditions included a visibility of five miles in light rain and snow, with broken clouds at 2,000 feet. While enroute, an obscured ceiling began to lower, and the pilot said he descended to 1,000 feet msl. The pilot said the visibility decreased to between three to four miles, and he began to follow a road toward the destination. About six miles north of the destination, the pilot obtained an airport advisory. The weather conditions at the destination airport were one mile visibility in light snow and mist, and a ceiling of 1,000 feet broken. The pilot requested a Special VFR clearance. As the in-flight visibility decreased to 1 mile, the pilot said he decided to begin a right turn back to an area of better visibility. During the turn, he said he entered white-out conditions. He leveled the wings of the airplane, and applied engine power to begin a climb. The airplane then collided with snow covered terrain, about 850 feet msl. The location of the accident is about 1 mile north of the Class E airspace.
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, flight instructor
- 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: 34,713 hours in all; 362 in this make and model; 325 in the last 90 days; 105 in the last 30 days; 3,056 as pilot in command; 960 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,574 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, April 30, 1998; 81 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT-GA-114 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Baker Aviation INC.
The flight
- Departed from: OTZ Kotzebue AK at 5:02 pm
- Destination: OME
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:11 pm from OME, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 5 | 3 |
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.