Cessna 207 Skywagon/Stationair

While approaching Salta Airport, the single engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances near Vaqueros, about 20 km north of the airport. All four occupants were killed.

The pilot reportedly flew a route along the power lines between Kenai and Homer. The flight took place on a dark moonless night over rising terrain. The accident site was located 200 yards east of the power lines. Radar data shows the airplane in the area of the crash site at a steady state heading, airspeed, and level altitude. This flight marked the first time that the pilot did not complete a company flight plan. On his off days, the pilot got 9-11 hours of sleep. His wife said he was not a morning person. The pilot had commented to her that when away from home, the quality of his sleep was poor. On the day of the accident, the pilot was awake at 0340 for the 0500 departure; he had about 6 hours of sleep.

While cruising in poor weather conditions, the single engine aircraft struck the slope of a mountain and crashed. Three occupants were rescued while four others were killed. The exact place of the accident remains unknown.

The pilot reported that while in cruise flight looking at birds out the left side cockpit window he observed peripherally a 'white flash' fill the right side of the forward wind screen followed immediately by an audible 'thump'. The airplane began an uncontrollable descent and yaw to the right. The engine continued to run smoothly. Advancing the engine power controls had no noticeable effect on his ability to arrest the descent. The NTSB investigator in charge visited the accident site. No evidence was found of a bird strike. The accident site was surrounded by tall (white) birch trees. The pilot stated that he was not sure what he struck and that it could have been a tree.

Pireps provided to the pilot by FSS prior to takeoff indicated that fog and low visibility had been encountered on the pilot's route to the east, forcing airplanes to return to Nome. In addition, as the flight taxied for takeoff, the pilot was told '... VFR is not recommended to the east...'. The airplane impacted flat snow covered terrain in a steep left wing down attitude approximately 4 miles east of the departure end of the runway. The area was a treeless, snow covered flat coastal plain bordered by a sea frozen with white ice. The pilot had returned to work 4/1 after a 30-day suspension following a takeoff accident, and was assigned only to Cessna 207 'VFR only' airplanes. The poi did not discuss the earlier accident or the pilot with the operator's management.

Crashed in unknown circumstances while completing a survey flight. Both occupants were killed.

The pilot of the Cessna 207, who was attempting to complete a VFR flight in mountainous, hilly terrain, flew into falling snow which reduced his visibility to approximately one half mile. When he realized that he was lost, he attempted to reverse course, but impacted the terrain while attempting to turn in the steep canyon. All three occupants were killed.

This was 1 of 2 company airplanes that had landed on a beach to pick up hunters for a return trip to Seward. The other airplane, a Cessna 206, was flown by the company chief pilot. The witnesses in the Cessna 206 said that the accident airplane took off 5 minutes before their Cessna 206 and 'disappeared into the weather and was never seen again.' They described the weather at the bay and along the route to Seward to be 400- 600 feet ceilings and visibility approximately one mile in fog. The wreckage was located 6 miles west of the takeoff point at an elevation of 1,000 feet in mountainous terrain. Both occupants were killed.

The crash occurred at the 1,100 foot level of a mountainside while the airplane was flying a course roughly parallel to the mountain range. Marginal weather conditions were reported for the area. The pilot's 22-year-old son stated that in those type weather conditions his father would routinely climb up into the soup. Set a loran course for home, and sit back and relax. When close to home he would descend to vfr conditions over the flat coastal area and land. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The pilot bent down to retrieve the fire extinguisher between his feet and to replace it in the bracket located under the pilot's seat. When he looked up he saw a hill in front of the airplane. He pulled up and the airplane struck the hill but continued to fly. He pulled back on the yoke and added full power and the airplane entered the clouds. He noticed he was about to stall the airplane so he lowered the nose and the airplane immediately struck the hill again and nosed over.