Cessna 172 accident near Skagway, AK
On June 25, 2003, a Cessna 172 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Skagway, AK. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 25, 2003
- Place
- Skagway, AK
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 59.586°N, 135.167°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030702X01000
NTSB summary
On June 25, 2003, about 1105 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Cessna 172 airplane, N736QK, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with mountainous terrain in cruise flight, about 12 miles north of Skagway, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a Title 14, CFR Part 91 visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The private certificated pilot and the sole passenger received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the airplane's point of departure, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Juneau International Airport, Juneau, Alaska, about 1028, and was en route to the Whitehorse International Airport, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. On June 25, 2003, at 0844, the pilot contacted the Juneau, Alaska, Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), and requested a weather briefing. The pilot said his planned route of flight was from Juneau to Watson Lake, Yukon Territory, with a stop in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory to clear US/Canadian customs before proceeding further into Canada. The pilot said that while en route to Whitehorse, he would fly direct to Skagway, then northbound to Whitehorse, through a commonly traveled mountain pass. The AFSS specialist provided a full briefing that included AIRMETs for mountain obscuration along the flight's planned route. The AFSS specialist added that forecast weather conditions to the north of Skagway, specifically in mountain passes, were forecast to deteriorate sometime after 1000, with marginal VFR conditions, low ceilings, rain
Probable cause
The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an in-flight collision with mountainous terrain. Factors associated with the accident were low ceilings, rain, and fog.
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Browse: Alaska · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
