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.
(-23) The pilot landed at the Bethel, Alaska airport between runway 18 and the taxiway. The aircraft touched down on the tundra collapsing the nose gear, coming to rest on taxiway delta. The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, cargo pod, nose gear and some damage to the firewall. At the time there was a wind from 140 degrees at 23 knots causing very low level blowing snow obscuration. The pilot in command mistook the dark color of the tundra to be the dark color of the runway and established his final descent to land on the tundra, which indeed happened.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE PILOT LANDED AT THE BETHEL, ALASKA AIRPORT BETWEEN RUNWAY 18 AND THE TAXIWAY. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE TUNDRA COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR, COMING TO REST ON TAXIWAY DELTA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, CARGO POD, NOSE GEAR AND SOME DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL. AT THE TIME THERE WAS A WIND FROM 140 DEGREES AT 23 KNOTS CAUSING VERY LOW LEVEL BLOWING SNOW OBSCURATION. THE PILOT IN COMMAND MISTOOK THE DARK COLOR OF THE TUNDRA TO BE THE DARK COLOR OF THE RUNWAY AND ESTABLISHED HIS FINAL DESCENT TO LAND ON THE TUNDRA, WHICH INDEED HAPPENED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.