Accident · 2013-03-08

What the record says

Event date

2013-03-08

Event type

Accident

Highest injury level

Fatal injury

Aircraft

BEECH 1900C (N116AX)

Operating rule

Part 135

Operator

ALASKA CENTRAL EXPRESS INC Operator named in NTSB report

Operated by (per NTSB report)

ALASKA CENTRAL EXPRESS INC

Probable cause

The flight crew's failure to maintain terrain clearance, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain in instrument meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident were the flight crew's failure to correctly read back and interpret clearance altitudes issued by the air traffic controller, their failure to adhere to minimum altitudes depicted on the published instrument approach chart, and their failure to adhere to company checklists. Also contributing to the accident were the air traffic controller's issuance of an ambiguous clearance to the flight crew, which resulted in the airplane's premature descent, his failure to address the pilot's incorrect read back of the assigned clearance altitudes, and his failure to monitor the flight and address the altitude violations and issue terrain-based safety alerts.

Flight crew

Certification and experience as recorded in the NTSB accident database for this event. The NTSB records these facts about the crew's flying history; GroundCheck shows them as filed, without names or identities.