20120201001429A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech 99 · Anchorage, AK · February 1, 2012

Date: February 1, 2012 · 16:00 local
Place: Anchorage, AK
Airport: Merrill Field
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: HXXC
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N991AK
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC12CA021
Reported as: Beech 99
Reported engine: U/A Canada PT6 SER 578HP
People aboard: 7
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 30,031 total1,320 in this make and model208 in the last 90 days

N991AKRegistered now · Beech C-99S/N U-189 · Built 1982 Airframe modelBeech C-99 Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-36Turbo-prop

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.

The airman was on an IFR flight plan from port alsworth to Merrill Field in Anchorage. There was moderate to severe turbulence in the area due to the chinook winds. Airman was on the GPS alpha approach to runway 7. Due to the turbulence and blowing snow, airman stated he did not see the VASI approach lights and the entire runway looked the same with no visual reference. This including the displaced threshold and compass rose leading to the landing runway. That area of the airport is unplowed and is not an acceptable landing area. Because of the wrong visual aiming point, the airman's approach was below an acceptable glide path to make a safe landing in the touchdown zone. Aircraft dragged the main landing gear approximatly 50 feet before and in 2 feet of unplowed snow and ice before touchdown. This caused the left main landing gear to separate from the wing spar frame and throwing heavy snow and ice into the flap causing damage to left flap, flap track, and parts of the wing skin.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRMAN WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM PORT ALSWORTH TO MERRILL FIELD IN ANCHORAGE. THERE WAS MODERATE TO SEVERE TURBULENCE IN THE AREA DUE TO THE CHINOOK WINDS. AIRMAN WAS ON THE GPS ALPHA APPROACH TO RUNWAY 7. DUE TO THE TURBULENCE AND BLOWING SNOW, AIRMAN STATED HE DID NOT SEE THE VASI APPROACH LIGHTS AND THE ENTIRE RUNWAY LOOKED THE SAME WITH NO VISUAL REFERENCE. THIS INCLUDING THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD AND COMPASS ROSE LEADING TO THE LANDING RUNWAY. THAT AREA OF THE AIRPORT IS UNPLOWED AND IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE LANDING AREA. BECAUSE OF THE WRONG VISUAL AIMING POINT, THE AIRMAN'S APPROACH WAS BELOW AN ACCEPTABLE GLIDE PATH TO MAKE A SAFE LANDING IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. AIRCRAFT DRAGGED THE MAIN LANDING GEAR APPROXIMATLY 50 FEET BEFORE AND IN 2 FEET OF UNPLOWED SNOW AND ICE BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. THIS CAUSED THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO SEPARATE FROM THE WING SPAR FRAME AND THROWING HEAVY SNOW AND ICE INTO THE FLAP CAUSING DAMAGE TO LEFT FLAP, FLAP TRACK, AND PARTS OF THE WING SKIN.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC12CA021Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportAnchorage, AKThe pilot's premature power reduction, which resulted in a runway undershoot.Feb 1, 2012 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N991AK · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20210416005319ALanding: Rollout · Chignik Lagoon, AKPilot landed on runway 22, did not notice anything unusual on final. During the roll out and initiation of thrust reversal, pilot's attention was divided between flight controls and engine indicators and outside the airplane. Pilot noticed a large chunk of…Apr 16, 2021 · Substantial damage Incident 20090806048109ILanding: Approach · Port Alsworth, AKThe anchorage FSDO incident number is:IAL0320090049. Nose gear failed to extend prior to landing. At tpo pilot attempted to extend gear normally and later by emergency means, but nose gear would not extend. Pilot conferred with maintenance staff and tried…Aug 6, 2009 · Minor damage