Four People Aboard A Cessna 180B Floatplane Fatally Injured

Two floatplanes operating in VFR conditions collided over a lake in Alaska July 30th, resulting in the fatal injure to all four people aboard one of the aircraft. The pilot of the larger Cessna 206 who survived the accident told NTSB investigators he simply did not see the Cessna 180 until it was too late to avoid the collision.

NTSB Identification: ANC11FA071A/B
 14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Talkeetna, AK
Aircraft: CESSNA U206G, registration: N756MP
Aircraft: CESSNA 180B, registration: N5214E
Injuries: 4 Fatal,1 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On July 30, 2011, about 1415 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped Cessna 206 airplane, N756MP, and a float-equipped Cessna 180 airplane, N5214E, collided midair near Amber Lake, about 16 miles southwest of Talkeetna, Alaska. The solo pilot of the Cessna 206 was not injured. The pilot and three passengers of the Cessna 180 received fatal injuries. The Cessna 206 was operated by the airline transport certificated pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal local flight under the provisions of 14 Code of federal Regulations (CFR), Part 91, and was entering a downwind for landing at Amber Lake. It departed Sister Lake, less than a mile from Amber Lake, just prior to the accident. No flight plan was filed. The Cessna 180 was operated by the private certificated pilot as a VFR personal cross-country flight under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The flight departed Lake Hood Seaplane (PALH), Anchorage, Alaska, about 1330, bound for Amber Lake. The Cessna 206 sustained minor damage to its left float and float spreader; the Cessna 180 received substantial damage, and was consumed by a postcrash fire.

Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at Amber Lake at the time of the accident.

Cessna 206 Floatplane File Photo

During a conversations with the NTSB's investigator-in-charge (IIC), the pilot of the Cessna 206 said he did not see the Cessna 180 coming from his right until the last seconds prior to the impact. He said he pulled his airplane up and left to avoid the collision.

After assessing the damage to his airplane, the pilot of the Cessna 206 said he decided to fly to Anchorage, where the most help was available. He contacted people on the ground at Amber Lake via his cell phone, and asked them to locate the other airplane. The Cessna 206 landed at Ted Stevens International Airport, Anchorage without incident.

The Cessna 180 collided with terrain in an uncontrolled vertical descent, and was consumed by a postcrash fire.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov