What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft was on part 91 repositioning flight from another city to begin 135 leg. Aircraft landed on dry runway and taxied on taxiway which was 85% clear and sanded to the ramp. Ramp was in non-movement area of airport which had received little sunlight after a period of heavy freezing rain. Ramp was covered with 1 inch of smooth clear ice. Sand had been placed down but did not stick due to lack of radiant heat and blew away due to strong winds and prop/jet blast of earlier arrival aircraft. At time of arrival a special weather report was issued with the winds increasing significantly to 300 degrees at 16 knots with gusts to 28. This wind direction gave the aircraft a 28 knot tailwind component as it entered the icy ramp from the dry taxiway. Aircraft was unable to brake and increased speed on the downsloping ramp until it weathervaned, turning left and striking a retaining wall, resulting in collapse of left main and nose gear and substantial damage to spar #5 and spar #7. Both pilots were ATP rated in aircraft. There were no injuries. The only witness, the marshaller, did not cite their taxi speed in his report as being contributing and stated they lost control on entering the icy ramp.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS ON PART 91 REPOSITIONING FLIGHT FROM ANOTHER CITY TO BEGIN 135 LEG. AIRCRAFT LANDED ON DRY RUNWAY AND TAXIED ON TAXIWAY WHICH WAS 85% CLEAR AND SANDED TO THE RAMP. RAMP WAS IN NON-MOVEMENT AREA OF AIRPORT WHICH HAD RECEIVED LITTLE SUNLIGHT AFTER A PERIOD OF HEAVY FREEZING RAIN. RAMP WAS COVERED WITH 1 INCH OF SMOOTH CLEAR ICE. SAND HAD BEEN PLACED DOWN BUT DID NOT STICK DUE TO LACK OF RADIANT HEAT AND BLEW AWAY DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND PROP/JET BLAST OF EARLIER ARRIVAL AIRCRAFT. AT TIME OF ARRIVAL A SPECIAL WEATHER REPORT WAS ISSUED WITH THE WINDS INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY TO 300 DEGREES AT 16 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 28. THIS WIND DIRECTION GAVE THE AIRCRAFT A 28 KNOT TAILWIND COMPONENT AS IT ENTERED THE ICY RAMP FROM THE DRY TAXIWAY. AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO BRAKE AND INCREASED SPEED ON THE DOWNSLOPING RAMP UNTIL IT WEATHERVANED, TURNING LEFT AND STRIKING A RETAINING WALL, RESULTING IN COLLAPSE OF LEFT MAIN AND NOSE GEAR AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO SPAR #5 AND SPAR #7. BOTH PILOTS WERE ATP RATED IN AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE ONLY WITNESS, THE MARSHALLER, DID NOT CITE THEIR TAXI SPEED IN HIS REPORT AS BEING CONTRIBUTING AND STATED THEY LOST CONTROL ON ENTERING THE ICY RAMP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.