Cessna 208B accident near Naches, Washington, October 8, 2007
On October 8, 2007 at about 2:59 am local time, a Cessna 208B, registered N430A, was destroyed in an accident near Naches, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 10 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed to avoid an aerodynamic stall while maneuvering. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's impaired physiological state due to hypoxia, the pilot's inadequate preflight weather evaluation, and his attempted flight into areas of known adverse weather. Also contributing were the pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions that included clouds, turbulence, and dark night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 2007 · about 2:59 am local time
- Place
- Naches, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 10 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208B · all 208Bs on the register
- Registration
- N430A · no longer on the register · serial 208B0415
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was returning a group of skydivers to their home base after a weekend of skydiving. He flew several jump flights, and then stopped early in the afternoon to prepare the airplane for the flight home. The flight was planned into an area of clouds, turbulence, and icing, which the pilot had researched. He delayed the departure until he decided that he could complete the planned flight under visual flight rules (VFR). The accident occurred at night with little illumination of the moon, and the airplane was in an area of layered clouds. A detailed analysis of the weather conditions revealed that the flight probably encountered broken to overcast layers both below and above its flight altitude. The satellite and sounding images suggested that it was possibly in an area of mountain wave conditions, which can enhance icing. The recorded radar data indicated that the pilot was likely maneuvering to go around, above, or below rain showers or clouds while attempting to maintain VFR. The airplane likely entered clouds during the last 3 minutes of flight, and possibly icing and turbulence. It was turning when it departed from controlled flight, and a performance study showed that the angle-of-attack at this point in the flight was increasing rapidly. The study determined that the departure from controlled flight was consistent with an aerodynamic stall. The unpressurized airplane was flying at over 14,000 feet mean sea level for more than 1 hour during the flight. It reached 15,000 feet just prior to the accident in sequential 360-degree turns while climbing and descending. Supplemental oxygen was not being used. At these altitudes, the pilot would be substantially impaired by hypoxia, but would have virtually no subjective symptoms, and would likely be unaware of his impairment. The pilot had logged over 2,000 hours of total flight time, with nearly 300 hours in this make and model of airplane. He was instrument-rated, but had only logged a total of 2 hours of actual instrument flight time. Company policy was to fly under visual flight rules only, and they had not flight-checked the pilot for instrument flight.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,054 hours in all; 296 in this make and model; 191 in the last 90 days; 1,963 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 23, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,604 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 10, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 8,950 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-114A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Kapowsin Air Sports Ltd
The flight
- Departed from: ID92 Star ID
- Destination: SHN Shelton WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 300° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; a few clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 am from KYKM, 34 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 9 |
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.