20030302002949A

(.19) ON MARCH 2, 2003, ABOUT 1504 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, A CESSNA 208 AIRPLANE, N205BA, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH ICE-COVERED TERRAIN DURING THE FINAL APPROACH PHASE OF A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) LANDING, ABOUT 1/4 MILE FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 08 AT THE RALPH WIEN MEMORIAL AIRPORT, KOTZEBUE, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED BY BERING AIR, NOME, ALASKA, AS A VFR CROSS-COUNTRY POSITIONING FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 91, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE AIRPORT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE SHUNGNAK AIRPORT, SHUNGNAK, ALASKA, AT 1358, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS FOR THE OPERATOR REPORTED THE AIRPLANE WAS RETURNING TO KOTZEBUE WITHOUT PASSENGERS AT THE CONCLUSION OF AN ON-DEMAND AIR TAXI FLIGHT. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC), ON MARCH 3, 2003, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHEN HE DEPARTED FROM SHUNGNAK, THE VISIBILITY AT KOTZEBUE WAS GREATER THAN 6 MILES. AS HE NEARED KOTZEBUE, THE VISIBILITY HAD DECREASED AND SEVERAL AIRPLANES IN THE AREA WERE REQUESTING SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCES INTO THE CLASS E AIRSPACE. HE REQUESTED A SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCE BUT HAD TO HOLD OUTSIDE THE AIRSPACE FOR OTHER VFR AND IFR TRAFFIC. ONCE HE WAS CLEARED TO ENTER THE AIRSPACE, THE PILOT SAID HE ESTABLISHED A GPS WAYPOINT 4 MILES FROM THE RUNWAY AND DESCENDED TO 1,000 FEET. HE CONTINUED INBOUND AND DESCENDED TO 300 FEET. AT 1 MILE FROM THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT SAID HE LOOKED UP FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BUT COULD NOT SEE THE AIRPORT. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE WAS IN A WHITEOUT CONDITION. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE SNOW-COVERED SEA ICE, SHORT OF THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. AT 1453, AN AVIATION ROUTINE WEATHER REPORT (METAR) AT KOTZEBUE WAS REPORTING, IN PART: WIND, 080 DEGREES (TRUE) AT 26 KNOTS; VISIBILITY, 1 STATUTE MILE, RUNWAY 08 VISIBILITY VARIABLE FROM 5,500 TO GREATER THAN 6,000 FEET IN LIGHT SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW; CLOUDS AND SKY CONDITION, FEW AT 1,300 FEET, 2,000 FEET BROKEN, 2,700 FEET OVERCAST; TEMPERATURE, 30 DEGREES F; DEW POINT, 29 DEGREES F; ALTIMETER, 29.51 INHG; REMARKS, PEAK WIND 080 DEGREES AT 33 KNOTS AT 1427, SNOW BEGAN AT 1434. AT 1501, A SPECIAL AVIATION WEATHER OBSERVATION STATED, IN PART:WIND, 080 DEGREES (TRUE) AT 26 KNOTS; VISIBILITY, 3/4 STATUTE MILE, RUNWAY 08 VISIBILITY VARIABLE FROM 3,500 TO GREATER THAN 6,000 FEET IN LIGHT SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW; CLOUDS AND SKY CONDITION, 1,100 FEET BROKEN, 2,000 FEET OVERCAST; TEMPERATURE, 30 DEGREES F; DEW POINT, 29 DEGREES F; ALTIMETER, 29.50 INHG. AT 1507, A SPECIAL WEATHER OBSERVATION STATED, IN PART: WIND, 080 DEGREES (TRUE) AT 27 KNOTS; VISIBILITY, 1/2 STATUTE MILE, RUNWAY 08 VISIBILITY VARIABLE FROM 2,800 TO 4,500 FEET IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW; CLOUDS AND SKY CONDITION, 700 FEET BROKEN, 1,800 FEET OVERCAST; TEMPERATURE, 30 DEGREES F; DEW POINT, 29 DEGREES F; ALTIMETER, 29.50 INHG. AT 1511, VISIBILITY FOR RUNWAY 08 WAS REPORTED TO BE 2,400 TO 3,500 FEET IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. AT 1545, ANOTHER SPECIAL WEATHER OBSERVATION STATED, IN PART: WIND, 080 DEGREES (TRUE) AT 29 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 34 KNOTS; VISIBILITY, 1/4 STATUTE MILE, RUNWAY 08 VISIBILITY VARIABLE FROM 2,400 TO 3,500 FEET IN HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW; CLOUDS AND SKY CONDITION, INDEFINITE CEILING WITH A VERTICAL VISIBILITY OF 400 FEET; TEMPERATURE, 30 DEGREES F; DEW POINT, 30 DEGREES F; ALTIMETER, 29.48 INHG. (-23) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DURING A SPECIAL VFR APPROACH TO RWY 8L AT THE KOTZEBUE AIRPORT, MR. BORCHARDT TUNED HIS GPS RECEIVER FOR A 4 MILE FIX OFF THE END OF RWY 8L AND DESCENDED TO 1000 FEET. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE 4 MILE FIX MR. BORCHARDT DESCENDED TO 300 FEET. AT ABOUT ONE MILE OUT FROM THE RUNWAY, MR. BORCHARDT'S THOUGHT HE SHOULD SEE THE RUNWAY, BUT WAS UNABLE BECAUSE OF THE FLAT LIGHT AND WHITE OUT CONDITIONS. AT ABOUT 7/10 OF A MILE MR. BORCHARDT'S AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON THE SNOW-COVERED SEA ICE. MR. BORCHARDT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT AND RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.