Cessna 207 accident near Quinhagak, Alaska, May 22, 1998
On May 22, 1998, a Cessna 207, registered N755AB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Quinhagak, Alaska (Quinhagak airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, and his premature liftoff, resulting in a collision with a runway light fixture. Factors in the accident were wet runway conditions, and a rough and uneven runway surface with potholes.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 1998
- Place
- Quinhagak, Alaska · Quinhagak · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207 · all 207s on the register
- Registration
- N755AB · no longer on the register · serial 207-00622
- 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 pilot was departing a rural village runway with two passengers on an air taxi flight. The center of the runway surface had numerous puddles of water. During the takeoff roll, the left main wheel entered a mud puddle, and the airplane veered to the left. The pilot corrected to the right, and raised the airplane's nose to lift off into ground effect, and avoid any more areas of water. The airplane descended slightly, and the pilot lowered the nose to gain airspeed. The airplane climbed away from the runway, and the pilot continued to the destination airport. Upon landing, the pilot discovered damage to the outboard end of the left horizontal stabilizer. The operator reported the airplane struck a runway edge light. An FAA airworthiness inspector reported that the damage to the stabilizer would necessitate the replacement of the outboard nose rib. The Airport Facility Directory listing for the accident airport indicated that potholes were present along the entire length of the runway. The runway was graded about 2 weeks before 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 270 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,754 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 12, 1998; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AQH at 7:30 pm
- Destination: BET Bethel AK
- Runway 4, 2,600 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N755AB 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.