Cessna 207A accident near Noorvik, Alaska, October 26, 1998
On October 26, 1998, a Cessna 207A, registered N9400M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Noorvik, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 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 a dark night and low ceilings.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 1998
- Place
- Noorvik, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 207A · all 207As on the register
- Registration
- N9400M · no longer on the register · serial 20700687
- 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 commercial pilot, and four passengers, departed a remote airport on a VFR scheduled air taxi flight during dark night conditions over snow-covered terrain. The pilot said he obtained weather information from his home computer, pilot reports, and his personal observations. After takeoff, the pilot deviated around an area of small mountains located between the departure and destination airports. The pilot said his deviation was planned to maintain a minimum of 1,000 feet above the ground, and below icing conditions. During the flight, the pilot encountered a snow shower. The pilot said he did not have any outside visual references to navigate by. He depended upon the airplane's directional gyro for course information, and said the gyro rotated to the left, placing the airplane near a mountain. The airplane collided with snow covered terrain about 900 feet msl. Passengers reported they could not see the ground, and were not aware of any problem until the airplane came to an abrupt stop. An area forecast included an AIRMET for mountain obscuration. The forecast also included light isolated moderate rime icing in clouds, and marginal VFR ceilings in snow and mist.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,750 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 244 in the last 90 days; 154 in the last 30 days; 2,665 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 16,152 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 16, 1998; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAIK Kiana AK at 11:55 pm
- Destination: PASK Selawik AK
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 092° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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 N9400M 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.