ASN Aircraft accident Cessna 208B Grand Caravan N126AR Bethel, AK
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Tuesday 8 April 2014
Time:15:56
Type:Silhouette image of generic C208 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
Operator:Hageland Aviation Services
Registration: N126AR
MSN: 208B1004
First flight: 2002
Total airframe hrs:11206
Engines: 1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A
Crew:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Total:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:ca 60 km SE of Bethel, AK (   United States of America)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:Training
Departure airport:Bethel Airport, AK (BET/PABE), United States of America
Destination airport:Bethel Airport, AK (BET/PABE), United States of America
Flightnumber:ERA6AR
Narrative:
A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, N126AR, operated by Hageland Aviation Services impacted terrain in the Three Steps Mountain area about 60 km southeast of Bethel, Alaska. A post-crash fire erupted. Both pilots were killed.
The flight was intended to be the first training flight of the newly hired second-in-command (SIC) pilot. The SIC was operating from the airplane's right seat during the training.
The airplane departed Bethel Airport, Alaska, at 15:35. After departure, the airplane began a series of training maneuvers, consistent with normal operations. About 21 minutes into the flight, when the airplane was about 3,400 ft mean sea level, it began a steep descent and subsequently impacted terrain. An airplane performance study showed that the airplane reached a nose-down pitch of about -40 degrees and that the descent rate reached about 16,000 ft per minute.
The NTSB determined that it is likely that the check airman simulated a pitch trim excursion and that the trainee, who lacked experience in the airplane type, did not appropriately respond to the excursion. The check airman did not take remedial action and initiate the recovery procedure in time to prevent the control forces from becoming unmanageable and to ensure that recovery from the associated dive was possible.
The aircraft impacted frozen tundra and came to rest in an area of heavy willows.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The check airman's delayed remedial action and initiation of a recovery procedure after a simulated pitch trim excursion, which resulted in a loss of airplane control."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 11 months
Accident number: ANC14FA022
Download report: Summary report

Classification:
Loss of control

Sources:
» KTUU
» Anchorage Daily News
» FAA
» NTSB

METAR Weather report:
00:53 UTC / 16:53 local time:
PABE 090053Z 36013KT 10SM CLR M07/M16 A2986 RMK AO2 SLP115 T10721161

23:53 UTC / 15:53 local time:
PABE 082353Z 02008KT 10SM CLR M07/M16 A2987 RMK AO2 SLP119 T10721161 11072 21139 56002=


Photos

photo of Cessna-208B-Grand-Caravan-N126AR
accident date: 08-04-2014
type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
registration: N126AR
photo of Cessna-208B-Grand-Caravan-N126AR
accident date: 08-04-2014
type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
registration: N126AR
photo of Cessna-208B-Grand-Caravan-N126AR
accident date: 08-04-2014
type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
registration: N126AR
photo of Cessna-208B-Grand-Caravan-N126AR
accident date: 08-04-2014
type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
registration: N126AR
photo of Cessna-208B-Grand-Caravan-N126AR
 

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This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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