What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 23, 1998, at 0905 Alaska standard time, a Cessna 207 airplane, N1864, sustained minor damage when it dropped into a ditch while taxiing for takeoff at the Ralph wein memorial airport, Kotzebue, Alaska. The airline transport pilot and the sole passenger were not injured. The airplane was being operated under 14 CFR part 135 as grant aviation inc., flight 501 for Kotzebue to noatak, Alaska. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident, and a company VFR flight plan was filed. The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge (iic) during a telephone interview on December 23, that when he called for taxi, the FAA flight service station (fss) told him that the main runway 08-26 was closed due to a vehicle sweeping snow, and that runway 17 was available. The pilot said he then attempted to taxi to runway 17. He related that he followed tire tracks in the snow on what he believed was the taxiway, but was actually a road. He then saw headlights coming toward him. He saw the runway 17 edge light off to his right side, and turned toward them. The airplane taxied off the road, and fell into a ditch. The pilot said that he had been stationed in Kotzebue since September, but had only used runway 17 about three times, and always in the daylight. The taxiway to the threshold of runway 17 is 1,463 feet from the edge of runway 08. There are no taxiway lights along the route. A road crosses the taxiway at an oblique angle, and the intersection is unmarked. Both the taxiway and the road were plowed.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 23, 1998, AT 0905 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 207 AIRPLANE, N1864, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN IT DROPPED INTO A DITCH WHILE TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF AT THE RALPH WEIN MEMORIAL AIRPORT, KOTZEBUE, ALASKA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND THE SOLE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 135 AS GRANT AVIATION INC., FLIGHT 501 FOR KOTZEBUE TO NOATAK, ALASKA. NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, AND A COMPANY VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW ON DECEMBER 23, THAT WHEN HE CALLED FOR TAXI, THE FAA FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (FSS) TOLD HIM THAT THE MAIN RUNWAY 08-26 WAS CLOSED DUE TO A VEHICLE SWEEPING SNOW, AND THAT RUNWAY 17 WAS AVAILABLE. THE PILOT SAID HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO TAXI TO RUNWAY 17. HE RELATED THAT HE FOLLOWED TIRE TRACKS IN THE SNOW ON WHAT HE BELIEVED WAS THE TAXIWAY, BUT WAS ACTUALLY A ROAD. HE THEN SAW HEADLIGHTS COMING TOWARD HIM. HE SAW THE RUNWAY 17 EDGE LIGHT OFF TO HIS RIGHT SIDE, AND TURNED TOWARD THEM. THE AIRPLANE TAXIED OFF THE ROAD, AND FELL INTO A DITCH. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN STATIONED IN KOTZEBUE SINCE SEPTEMBER, BUT HAD ONLY USED RUNWAY 17 ABOUT THREE TIMES, AND ALWAYS IN THE DAYLIGHT. THE TAXIWAY TO THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 17 IS 1,463 FEET FROM THE EDGE OF RUNWAY 08. THERE ARE NO TAXIWAY LIGHTS ALONG THE ROUTE. A ROAD CROSSES THE TAXIWAY AT AN OBLIQUE ANGLE, AND THE INTERSECTION IS UNMARKED. BOTH THE TAXIWAY AND THE ROAD WERE PLOWED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N1864 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.