Loss of control Accident Cessna 208B Grand Caravan N126AR,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 320548

Date:	Tuesday 8 April 2014
Time:	15:56
Type:	Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
Owner/operator:	Hageland Aviation Services
Registration:	N126AR
MSN:	208B1004
Year of manufacture:	2002
Total airframe hrs:	11206 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	ca 60 km SE of Bethel, AK - United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	Bethel Airport, AK (BET/PABE)
Destination airport:	Bethel Airport, AK (BET/PABE)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, N126AR, operated by Hageland Aviation Services impacted terrain in the Three Steps Mountain area about 60 km southeast of Bethel, Alaska. A post-crash fire erupted. Both pilots were killed.
The flight was intended to be the first training flight of the newly hired second-in-command (SIC) pilot. The SIC was operating from the airplane's right seat during the training.
The airplane departed Bethel Airport, Alaska, at 15:35. After departure, the airplane began a series of training maneuvers, consistent with normal operations. About 21 minutes into the flight, when the airplane was about 3,400 ft mean sea level, it began a steep descent and subsequently impacted terrain. An airplane performance study showed that the airplane reached a nose-down pitch of about -40 degrees and that the descent rate reached about 16,000 ft per minute.
The NTSB determined that it is likely that the check airman simulated a pitch trim excursion and that the trainee, who lacked experience in the airplane type, did not appropriately respond to the excursion. The check airman did not take remedial action and initiate the recovery procedure in time to prevent the control forces from becoming unmanageable and to ensure that recovery from the associated dive was possible.
The aircraft impacted frozen tundra and came to rest in an area of heavy willows.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The check airman's delayed remedial action and initiation of a recovery procedure after a simulated pitch trim excursion, which resulted in a loss of airplane control."

METAR:

00:53 UTC / 16:53 local time:
PABE 090053Z 36013KT 10SM CLR M07/M16 A2986 RMK AO2 SLP115 T10721161

23:53 UTC / 15:53 local time:
PABE 082353Z 02008KT 10SM CLR M07/M16 A2987 RMK AO2 SLP119
T10721161 11072 21139 56002=

Accident investigation: