A Cessna Caravan 208B on a Part 135 daylight VFR trip between Quinhagak, Alaska (PAQH) and Togiak, Alaska (PATG), slammed into the side of a hill about 10 nm northwest of its destination after encountering IFR conditions along the route. The aircraft was operated by Hageland Aviation Services Inc, dba Ravn Connect, as flight 1133. The October 2016 accident claimed the lives of both pilots and the lone passenger aboard. Both pilots held commercial pilot certificates with an instrument rating. At the time of departure from PATG, local weather reported calm wind, visibility 9 miles, light rain, with scattered clouds at 1,400 feet agl and an overcast at 4,400 feet agl. The temperature was 8°C.
Flight Crew Continues VFR Flight Into IFR Conditions
Key Takeaways:
- The accident involved a VFR flight encountering unexpected IFR conditions and crashing, with the crew failing to avoid or exit them, leading to a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).
- The NTSB faulted the operator for poor crew resource management and CFIT training, and for tacitly allowing pilots to inhibit the terrain avoidance system (TAWS), alongside the FAA's inadequate oversight.
- The investigation highlighted broader systemic deficiencies, including the lack of mandatory crash-resistant flight recorders for such operations and insufficient ATC infrastructure to support low-altitude IFR in remote Alaskan regions.
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