# Accident 20090216025069A: Beech 65-A90-1, Soldotna, AK, February 16, 2009

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 16, 2009, 16:00 local time
- Place: Soldotna, AK
- Airport: Soldotna
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 60.4750° N, 151.0381° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.4750&lon=-151.0381&mi=10
- Aircraft: N418SP (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BEECH 65-A90-1
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 14,030 total, 1,700 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC09CA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC09CA020) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090216025069A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE PILOT STATED THAT WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT THERE WAS 3-4 INCHES OF SNOW, AND THAT THE OVERCAST AND LOW LIGHT CONDITION MADE EVERYTHING LOOK GRAY.  HE STATED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED FLAT LIGHT CONDITIONS IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT.  HE SAID THE VISUAL APPROACH SLOPE INDICATOR (VASI) LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE, AND THE APPROPRIATE NOTICE TO AIRMAN (NOTAM) WAS ISSUED.  HE SAID HE TURNED ON THE RUNWAY LIGHTS, IDENTIFIED WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE RUNWAY SURFACE, AND LINED UP THE RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS ON HIS LEFT.  AFTER THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN HE SAID HE REALIZED THAT HE LANDED TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY SURFACE, WITH THE RIGHT SIDE RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS ON HIS LEFT.  THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE SETTLED INTO DEEP SNOW, AND IMPACTED A SNOWBANK, COLLAPSING THE LANDING GEAR.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ANC09CA020](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC09CA020), Feb 16, 2009: Beech 65-A90-1 (N418SP), Soldotna, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's misidentification of the runway surface during landing. Contributing to the accident were the snow-covered terrain, and low-light conditions.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.