N752RV

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 31, 2016, about 1001 Alaska daylight time, a turbine-powered Cessna 208B (Grand Caravan) airplane, N752RV, and a Piper PA-18-150 (Super Cub) airplane, N82452, were destroyed when they collided in midair near Russian Mission, Alaska. The airline transport pilot and the two passengers onboard the Cessna and the commercial pilot and the passenger onboard the Piper sustained fatal injuries. The Cessna was registered to N752RV, LLC, Fairbanks, Alaska, and operated by Hageland Aviation Services, Inc., dba Ravn Connect, Anchorage, Alaska, flight number 3190, a visual flight rules (VFR) scheduled passenger flight, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135. Company flight following procedures were in effect for the scheduled passenger flight, which departed Russian Mission Airport (PARS), Russian Mission, Alaska, about 0958 and was destined for Marshall Don Hunter Senior Airport (PADM), Marshall, Alaska. The Piper was registered to DioAir, LLC, Bethel, Alaska, and operated by Renfro's Alaskan Adventures, Inc., Bethel, as a VFR guided hunting operation flight, under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. Company flight following procedures were in effect for the flight, which departed Bethel Airport (PABE), Bethel, Alaska, about 0907, and was transporting the passenger to a remote hunting camp about 20 miles northwest of Russian Mission. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed in the area at the time of the accident.

The operator of the Cessna reported that the flight was scheduled to arrive at PADM at 1017. In addition to the pilot, onboard the airplane was a company employee (non-pilot) and a private individual traveling to Marshall. When the airplane did not arrive as scheduled, the company village agent at PADM notified the Ravn Connect operational control center (OCC) in Palmer, Alaska, which initiated overdue airplane procedures. The OCC contacted two company airplanes near Russian Mission and provided the last latitude and longitude coordinates from the Cessna's Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system. The two company airplanes then flew to the area of the last coordinates and located the accident site. The pilots of the two company airplanes reported their findings back to the OCC.

The owner and master guide-outfitter of the hunting/fishing expedition company that operated the Piper reported that the purpose of the flight was to drop off a guide, who was a company employee, along with hunting and field gear at a hunting camp. He reported that he also was flying another company guide to a different hunting camp in another airplane, and that he departed from PABE about 15 minutes after the Piper. The owner reported that he delivered the guide to the hunting camp about 1030, then overflew the Piper's intended destination and saw that the Piper was not present. The owner radioed the company headquarters at PABE for a status update on the Piper and was provided the Piper's last latitude and longitude coordinates from the company's flight following system. The owner then flew to the area of the last coordinates and located the accident site. The owner reported his findings back to the company headquarters.

Flight track information recovered from the ADS-B system on the Cessna and a Garmin GPSMAP 296 GPS device on the Piper indicated that the Cessna departed runway 17 at PARS about 09:58:50. At that time, the Piper was about 5.1 nautical miles (nm) west and 1.3 nm south of the Cessna, flying northbound (about 003°) in level flight between 1,700 and 1,800 ft above mean sea level (msl), at an airspeed about 70 knots (kts).

Shortly after takeoff, the Cessna entered a climbing right turn to the northwest, rolling onto a heading of 300° at 09:59:41, while climbing through 850 ft msl and accelerating through about 120 kts. The Cessna continued climbing and leveled about 1,760 ft msl at 10:01:00, while accelerating through 138 kts. At that time, the airplanes were 1.1 nm apart and converging.

The airplanes continued to converge without further maneuvering until they collided at 10:01:28 at an altitude of 1,760 ft msl. The closure rate at the time of collision was about 145 kts, with the Piper approaching the Cessna from ahead and to the left and the Cessna approaching the Piper from the right.

Both operators reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation for each airplane. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONCessna

The Cessna pilot, age 48, held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent first-class Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical certificate was issued on January 15, 2016 and contained a limitation that he must wear lenses for distant vision and have glasses for near vision.

According to the operator, the pilot had about 18,810 total hours of flight experience. The operator's pilot training records showed no deficiencies; the accident pilot had completed all required training, including a competency check ride on March 18, 2016.

Piper

The Piper pilot, age 44, held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane single-engine sea, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent second-class FAA medical certificate was issued on August 8, 2016, with no limitations.

According to the operator, the pilot had about 5,000 total hours of flight experience. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONCessna

The fixed-gear, high-wing, single-engine Cessna airplane was manufactured in 2014 and was configured with seating for the pilot, a co-pilot, and 9 passengers; it also had a belly cargo pod. The airplane was powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140 turbine engine. The airplane's primary base color was white with red and black accent lines, white wings, a black belly cargo pod, a chrome propeller spinner, and a grey Hartzell propeller.

The airplane had 811 hours in service at the time of its most recent approved aircraft inspection program inspection, which was completed on July 18, 2016.

Review of the airplane's maintenance records indicated no mechanical discrepancies with the airframe, engine, or propeller.

Piper

The tailwheel-equipped, high-wing, single-engine Piper airplane was manufactured in 1978 and was configured with tandem seating for the pilot and a passenger; it also had a belly cargo pod. The airplane was powered by a Lycoming O-320 reciprocating engine. The airplane's primary base color was white with blue accent lines, white wings with blue leading edges, a white belly cargo pod, a blue propeller spinner, and a black McCauley propeller.

The airplane had 3,559 hours in service at the time of its most recent annual inspection, which was completed on May 26, 2016.

Review of the airplane's maintenance records indicated no mechanical discrepancies with the airframe, engine, or propeller. AIRPORT INFORMATIONCessna

The fixed-gear, high-wing, single-engine Cessna airplane was manufactured in 2014 and was configured with seating for the pilot, a co-pilot, and 9 passengers; it also had a belly cargo pod. The airplane was powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140 turbine engine. The airplane's primary base color was white with red and black accent lines, white wings, a black belly cargo pod, a chrome propeller spinner, and a grey Hartzell propeller.

The airplane had 811 hours in service at the time of its most recent approved aircraft inspection program inspection, which was completed on July 18, 2016.

Review of the airplane's maintenance records indicated no mechanical discrepancies with the airframe, engine, or propeller.

Piper

The tailwheel-equipped, high-wing, single-engine Piper airplane was manufactured in 1978 and was configured with tandem seating for the pilot and a passenger; it also had a belly cargo pod. The airplane was powered by a Lycoming O-320 reciprocating engine. The airplane's primary base color was white with blue accent lines, white wings with blue leading edges, a white belly cargo pod, a blue propeller spinner, and a black McCauley propeller.

The airplane had 3,559 hours in service at the time of its most recent annual inspection, which was completed on May 26, 2016.

Review of the airplane's maintenance records indicated no mechanical discrepancies with the airframe, engine, or propeller. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) and two air safety investigators from the NTSB, along with a team of Alaska State Troopers (AST) traveled to the accident site on September 1, 2016. The team members flew in on an AST helicopter and hiked into the locations for both wreckage sites. Two FAA aviation safety inspectors (ASI) conducted aerial surveys of the two wreckage sites via a commercial helicopter.

Both wreckage sites were located in areas of rolling hills with heavy vegetation about 10 ft tall and populated with various alder trees, spruce trees, and birch trees. The main wreckage of the Cessna came to rest about 1/2 mile west of the Piper.

Cessna

The airplane's initial impact point, located at an elevation of about 610 ft msl, exhibited disturbed terrain and vegetation consistent with a nose-down attitude at the time of impact. The engine was buried in dirt at the bottom of the impact crater. Various avionics boxes were scattered throughout the impact crater and in the immediate surrounding area.

The impact crater was located about 144 ft from the main wreckage; the debris field was oriented on an approximate 231° heading. Portions of both wings were located about halfway between the impact crater and the main wreckage. Additionally, the main landing gear separated from the fuselage, along with one propeller blade, and were found near the wing pieces between the impact crater and mai...