What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A Cessna 208B caravan N720FX was descending on the ILS approach to runway 16L at Seattle Tacoma international airport (ksea) at approximately 1700 local. The runway visual range (RVR) fell between 700 and 1000 feet due to fog. The airfield was in smgcs procedures at the time of the incident. Pilot reported seeing the approach lights from ten miles out. On short final he transitioned to visual references then lost glide slope reference, he continued his descent. He realized there was no lead in sequencing lights and thought he was over the touch down zone. He continued to descend and disconnected the auto pilot at decision height. He pulled the power back then realized he was too low and not over the touch down zone. He added power then heard a couple thuds and saw runway red terminating bars and the runway surface. He then made the decision to land. The main gear touch down was normal. When the nose gear touched down the aircraft made a sudden un-commanded hard turn to the left. The pilot was unable to stop the aircraft and went off the runway and crossed the grass median and stopped at the edge of taxiway ?b?. The aircraft struck and destroyed stations 6, 7, and 8 in the approach light system. There was damage to the aircraft nose gear, main landing gear, prop, right hand flap, cargo pod, cargo door, and right and left fuselage. The aircraft had to be towed off the taxi way to parking.
As the FAA filed it
A CESSNA 208B CARAVAN N720FX WAS DESCENDING ON THE ILS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 16L AT SEATTLE TACOMA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KSEA) AT APPROXIMATELY 1700 LOCAL. THE RUNWAY VISUAL RANGE (RVR) FELL BETWEEN 700 AND 1000 FEET DUE TO FOG. THE AIRFIELD WAS IN SMGCS PROCEDURES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. PILOT REPORTED SEEING THE APPROACH LIGHTS FROM TEN MILES OUT. ON SHORT FINAL HE TRANSITIONED TO VISUAL REFERENCES THEN LOST GLIDE SLOPE REFERENCE, HE CONTINUED HIS DESCENT. HE REALIZED THERE WAS NO LEAD IN SEQUENCING LIGHTS AND THOUGHT HE WAS OVER THE TOUCH DOWN ZONE. HE CONTINUED TO DESCEND AND DISCONNECTED THE AUTO PILOT AT DECISION HEIGHT. HE PULLED THE POWER BACK THEN REALIZED HE WAS TOO LOW AND NOT OVER THE TOUCH DOWN ZONE. HE ADDED POWER THEN HEARD A COUPLE THUDS AND SAW RUNWAY RED TERMINATING BARS AND THE RUNWAY SURFACE. HE THEN MADE THE DECISION TO LAND. THE MAIN GEAR TOUCH DOWN WAS NORMAL. WHEN THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN THE AIRCRAFT MADE A SUDDEN UN-COMMANDED HARD TURN TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT AND WENT OFF THE RUNWAY AND CROSSED THE GRASS MEDIAN AND STOPPED AT THE EDGE OF TAXIWAY ?B?. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK AND DESTROYED STATIONS 6, 7, AND 8 IN THE APPROACH LIGHT SYSTEM. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT NOSE GEAR, MAIN LANDING GEAR, PROP, RIGHT HAND FLAP, CARGO POD, CARGO DOOR, AND RIGHT AND LEFT FUSELAGE. THE AIRCRAFT HAD TO BE TOWED OFF THE TAXI WAY TO PARKING.
Other reports on N720FX · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.