What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)At approximately 1510 local time on September 18, 2000 the pilot landed at Nuiqsut, Alaska without extending the landing gear. After touching down on the aircraft belly pod, the pilot executed a rejected landing maneuver. During the go-around, the pilot failed to raise the flaps from full and then extended the landing gear. The pilot then lost control of hte aircraft and crahsed approximately 1/4 mile off of the runway. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire. (.19ON September 18, 2000, about 1510 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-31T3 airplane, N220CS, was destroyed by impact and postimpact fire after colliding with tundra covered terrain, about 300 yards south of the Nuiqsut airport, Nuiqsut, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) scheduled domestic flight under title 14, CFR part 135, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated as flight 181 by cape smythe air service inc., barrow, Alaska. The airline transport certificated pilot, and four passengers received fatal injuries. Five passengers received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a VFR flight pl an was filed. The flight originated at the deadhorse airport, deadhorse, Alaska, at 1445. The director of operations for the operator reported the airplane was equipped with a fuselage mounted belly cargo pod. The airplane was observed by witnesses at the Nuiqsut airport to touch down on runway 22 with the landing gear retracted. The belly pod lightly scraped the runway for about 40 feet, but the airplane transitioned to a climb. As the airplane began climbing away from the runway, the landing gear was observed to extend. The airplane climbed to about 100 to 150 feet above the ground, and then began a descending left turn. The airplane collided with the ground on a 095 degree heading. The wreckage path extended for about 300 feet, during which the landing gear, left wing, and the left engine separated from the airplane. A postcrash fire destroyed the fuselage, right wing, and the right engine. At 1500, an automated weather observation system (AWOS) was reporting, in part: wind, 232 degrees (magnetic) at 12 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; clouds and sky condition, few at 2,000 feet, 3,900 feet broken, 5,000 feet overcast; temperature, 35 degrees f; dew point, 29 degrees f; altimeter, 29.89 inhg.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)AT APPROXIMATELY 1510 LOCAL TIME ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2000 THE PILOT LANDED AT NUIQSUT, ALASKA WITHOUT EXTENDING THE LANDING GEAR. AFTER TOUCHING DOWN ON THE AIRCRAFT BELLY POD, THE PILOT EXECUTED A REJECTED LANDING MANEUVER. DURING THE GO-AROUND, THE PILOT FAILED TO RAISE THE FLAPS FROM FULL AND THEN EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT THEN LOST CONTROL OF HTE AIRCRAFT AND CRAHSED APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE OFF OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY A POST CRASH FIRE. (.19ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2000, ABOUT 1510 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-31T3 AIRPLANE, N220CS, WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND POSTIMPACT FIRE AFTER COLLIDING WITH TUNDRA COVERED TERRAIN, ABOUT 300 YARDS SOUTH OF THE NUIQSUT AIRPORT, NUIQSUT, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) SCHEDULED DOMESTIC FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 135, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS FLIGHT 181 BY CAPE SMYTHE AIR SERVICE INC., BARROW, ALASKA. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT, AND FOUR PASSENGERS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. FIVE PASSENGERS RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A VFR FLIGHT PL AN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE DEADHORSE AIRPORT, DEADHORSE, ALASKA, AT 1445. THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR THE OPERATOR REPORTED THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A FUSELAGE MOUNTED BELLY CARGO POD. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES AT THE NUIQSUT AIRPORT TO TOUCH DOWN ON RUNWAY 22 WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED. THE BELLY POD LIGHTLY SCRAPED THE RUNWAY FOR ABOUT 40 FEET, BUT THE AIRPLANE TRANSITIONED TO A CLIMB. AS THE AIRPLANE BEGAN CLIMBING AWAY FROM THE RUNWAY, THE LANDING GEAR WAS OBSERVED TO EXTEND. THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO ABOUT 100 TO 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, AND THEN BEGAN A DESCENDING LEFT TURN. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND ON A 095 DEGREE HEADING. THE WRECKAGE PATH EXTENDED FOR ABOUT 300 FEET, DURING WHICH THE LANDING GEAR, LEFT WING, AND THE LEFT ENGINE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE. A POSTCRASH FIRE DESTROYED THE FUSELAGE, RIGHT WING, AND THE RIGHT ENGINE. AT 1500, AN AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATION SYSTEM (AWOS) WAS REPORTING, IN PART: WIND, 232 DEGREES (MAGNETIC) AT 12 KNOTS; VISIBILITY, 10 STATUTE MILES; CLOUDS AND SKY CONDITION, FEW AT 2,000 FEET, 3,900 FEET BROKEN, 5,000 FEET OVERCAST; TEMPERATURE, 35 DEGREES F; DEW POINT, 29 DEGREES F; ALTIMETER, 29.89 INHG.
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 N220CS · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.