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19980131000749A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 208A · Port Heiden, AK · January 31, 1998

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Date
January 31, 1998 · 17:00 local
Place
Port Heiden, AK
Airport
Port Heiden
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
PNSA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N9316F
Reported as
Cessna 208A
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A11
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
15,000 total4,500 in this make and model226 in the last 90 days
N9316FRegistration cancelled Sep 11, 1998 · Cessna 208S/N 20800011Airframe modelCessna 208

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Encountered freezing rain after takeoff. Ice on windshield. Missed approach. Twice. Iced up. Crashed on frozen lake (.4)the airplane encountered unforecast freezing precipitation and began rapidly accumulating ice about five miles from the departure airport while in visual meteorological conditions. The airplane was not equipped with ice protection equipment except for pitot heat and windshield heat. The pilot attempted to return to the airport, but was unable to align the airplane for landing due to the ice obscured windscreen, and prestall buffet was encountered when the airplane was banked. The airplane was unable to maintain altitude with full engine power, while flying at the best rate of climb airspeed. The pilot attempted to flare prior to landing on frozen tundra, and the left wing stalled. The pilot did not have access to the official weather prior to departure. The notional weather service contracted observer took his observatin from a location about five miles south of the official weather station at the airport. The FAA AWOS-3 was inoperative. The pilot estimated the departure weather to be a high ceiling and visibility of 3 to 4 miles. The station manager EST imated the ceiling at 600 to 700 feet, and a visibility of 3 to 4 miles. (-23) aircraft departed pth, iced up, attempted to return and was unable to make pth. Landed short due to heavy structured ice. We are working with the company concerning operational control.

As the FAA filed it

ENCOUNTERED FREEZING RAIN AFTER TAKEOFF. ICE ON WINDSHIELD. MISSED APPROACH. TWICE. ICED UP. CRASHED ON FROZEN LAKE (.4)THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED UNFORECAST FREEZING PRECIPITATION AND BEGAN RAPIDLY ACCUMULATING ICE ABOUT FIVE MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT WHILE IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH ICE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT EXCEPT FOR PITOT HEAT AND WINDSHIELD HEAT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO ALIGN THE AIRPLANE FOR LANDING DUE TO THE ICE OBSCURED WINDSCREEN, AND PRESTALL BUFFET WAS ENCOUNTERED WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS BANKED. THE AIRPLANE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE WITH FULL ENGINE POWER, WHILE FLYING AT THE BEST RATE OF CLIMB AIRSPEED. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO FLARE PRIOR TO LANDING ON FROZEN TUNDRA, AND THE LEFT WING STALLED. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE OFFICIAL WEATHER PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. THE NOTIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONTRACTED OBSERVER TOOK HIS OBSERVATIN FROM A LOCATION ABOUT FIVE MILES SOUTH OF THE OFFICIAL WEATHER STATION AT THE AIRPORT. THE FAA AWOS-3 WAS INOPERATIVE. THE PILOT ESTIMATED THE DEPARTURE WEATHER TO BE A HIGH CEILING AND VISIBILITY OF 3 TO 4 MILES. THE STATION MANAGER EST IMATED THE CEILING AT 600 TO 700 FEET, AND A VISIBILITY OF 3 TO 4 MILES. (-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED PTH, ICED UP, ATTEMPTED TO RETURN AND WAS UNABLE TO MAKE PTH. LANDED SHORT DUE TO HEAVY STRUCTURED ICE. WE ARE WORKING WITH THE COMPANY CONCERNING OPERATIONAL CONTROL.