Date:	Friday 2 September 2011
Time:	13:35
Type:	Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
Owner/operator:	Grant Aviation
Registration:	N207DR
MSN:	208B0859
Year of manufacture:	2000
Total airframe hrs:	8483 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	14 km N of Nightmute, AK -   United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Toksook Bay Airport, AK (OOK/PAOO)
Destination airport:	Bethel Airport, AK (BET/PABE)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan airplane, N207DR, and a Cessna T207A Turbo Stationair 7 airplane, N73789, collided in midair, approximately 14 km north of Nightmute, Alaska. Both airplanes were being operated as visual flight rules (VFR) charter flights in visual meteorological conditions when the accident occurred. The Cessna 208B was operated by Grant Aviation and the Cessna 207 was operated by Ryan Air. The sole occupant of the Cessna 208B sustained fatal injuries. The sole occupant of the Cessna 207 was uninjured. Both airplanes sustained substantial damage during the midair collision. After the collision, the Cessna 208B descended, uncontrolled, and impacted tundra-covered terrain. A postcrash fire consumed most of the wreckage. The Cessna 207 was further damaged during a forced landing on tundra-covered terrain. Both airplanes were based at the Bethel Airport, Alaska. The Cessna 208B departed from the Toksook Bay Airport (OOK) about 13:25, and VFR company flight following procedures were in effect for the flight to Bethel. The Cessna 207 departed from the Tununak Airport, Alaska, about 13:15, and VFR company flight following procedures were in effect for the return flight to Bethel.

Both pilots had a close personal relationship. After takeoff from Tununak, the pilot of the Cessna 207 talked with the pilot of the Cessna 208B on a prearranged, discreet radio frequency, and the two agreed to rendezvous for the flight back to Bethel. She said that while in cruise level flight at 1,200 feet msl, en route to Bethel, the pilot of the Cessna 208B flew his airplane along the left side of her airplane, and they continued to talk via radio. She said that the pilot of the Cessna 208B then unexpectedly and unannounced climbed his airplane above, and overtop of her airplane. She immediately told the pilot of the 208B that she could not see him, and she was concerned about where he was. She said the 208B pilot then said, in part: "Whatever you do, don't pull up." Moments later, the next thing she recalls was the 208B's impact with her airplane's right wing.
The 207 pilot reported that after the impact, she saw the 208B pass underneath her airplane, and it began a gradual descent, which steepened as the airplane continued to the left and away from her airplane. She said that she told the pilot of the 208B that she thought she was going to crash. The pilot of the 208B stated that he also thought he was going to crash. She said that she watched as the 208B continued to descend, then it entered a steep, vertical, nose down descent, before it collided with the ground. She said a postcrash fire started instantaneously upon impact.
The 207 pilot said that while struggling to maintain control of her airplane, she was unable to maintain altitude, and she selected an area of rolling, tundra-covered terrain as a forced landing site. She said that during the emergency descent, she had limited roll control, and the airplane's stall horn was on during the entire emergency approach. The airplane touched down on the soft terrain, and the nose landing gear collapsed.
The Cessna 208B's severed vertical stabilizer and rudder assemblies were found about one-half mile west of the main wreckage site, and along the two airplanes' reported flight route. A large portion of the Cessna 207's right aileron was found near the 208's rudder and stabilizer.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance while performing an unexpected and unannounced abrupt maneuver, resulting in a midair collision between the two airplanes."

One pilot feared dead after planes collide (ADN, 3-9-2011)
Updated: Troopers Investigate Midair Collision in Southwest Alaska (KTUU, 3-9-2011)

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

17 February 2010

N207DR

Grant Aviation

0

near Kwigillingok Airport, AK (KWK)

sub

photo (c) NTSB; Nightmute, AK; September 2011; (publicdomain)

photo (c) NTSB; Nightmute, AK; September 2011; (publicdomain)

photo (c) NTSB; Nightmute, AK; September 2011; (publicdomain)

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