March 19 (UPI) -- A small passenger plane that crashed last month in Alaska, killing all 10 onboard, was nearly 1,000 pounds too heavy for the weather conditions, according to a preliminary report on the incident released Wednesday by the National Transportation Board.
The Cessna 208B aircraft, operated by Bering Air, departed Unalakleet for Nome the afternoon of Feb. 6, with one pilot and nine passengers.
The plane crashed as it was preparing to land. There were no survivors and the aircraft was destroyed.
According to the report, at the time of takeoff, including fuel, baggage and cargo, the plane had a gross weight of about 9,865 pounds -- about 1,058 pounds over the maximum takeoff gross weight for flight into icing conditions.
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The gross takeoff weight was also about 803 pounds over the maximum gross takeoff weight for any flight with its system.
"A senior NTSB aerospace engineer will conduct a detailed review of the airplane's performance as part of the investigation, including an evaluation of the airplane's center of gravity location," it said.
According to the report, the estimated weight of the aircraft was based on a postaccident examination that found baggage and cargo weight about 798 pounds. An estimated 1,350 pounds of fuel was also onboard the plane at takeoff, it said.
The airplane was expected to land in Nome at about 3:35 p.m. local time Feb. 6, but when it did not, a search-and-rescue crew was dispatched after authorities were notified of an overdue aircraft.
The plane was located about 34 miles southeast of Nome, which is about 55 miles from the Russian border.
It was found upright, its propeller, having separated from the engine, was located near the wreckage and its engine cowling dislocated and fragmented, the report said.
"The fuselage exhibited upward crushing damage along the entire length. Both wings were damaged, with the left wing being partially separated from the fuselage," it said.
