What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 2/23/25 at about 0909 local time a bonanza A36 impacted terrain about 20 feet short of runway 01 at Alton Bay Airport (B18) NH. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the two people on board were not injured. The aircraft was operated under part 91 as a recreational flight. Weather at the time was clear with light winds out of the northwest. The runway at Alton Bay was plowed to 2,500 feet and was ice. Due to sunshine and slightly higher temperatures the top of the ice was smooth and slippery. Cones and wooden stakes marked the runway, there were no visual approach aids.
The right main landing gear was partially severed and the nose landing gear was collapsed. All three propeller blades exhibited q-tipping. The right wing was substantially damaged and the fuselage bottom exhibited impact damage.
A video of the approach filmed by a bystander showed the airplane in a normal landing profile, the engine sounded, and appeared to be running. The airplane was not flared prior to impact but continued on an approach profile. The aircraft appeared stable throughout the approach.
The PIC reported that winds were light and weather was clear. She elected to make her approach slightly slower than normal at about 70KTS and aimed for the threshold so as to have as much runway as possible. The PIC stated that approach was stable and everything felt normal until she impacted the terrain. She stated that she was focused down the runway and suspected that perhaps due to the snow and largely featureless terrain around the runway she lost awareness of her altitude and thought that she was higher than she was.
Based on a logbook review it was evidenced that the pilot had not completed a flight review since October 2021.
As the FAA filed it
ON 2/23/25 AT ABOUT 0909 LOCAL TIME A BONANZA A36 IMPACTED TERRAIN ABOUT 20 FEET SHORT OF RUNWAY 01 AT ALTON BAY AIRPORT (B18) NH. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE TWO PEOPLE ON BOARD WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED UNDER PART 91 AS A RECREATIONAL FLIGHT. WEATHER AT THE TIME WAS CLEAR WITH LIGHT WINDS OUT OF THE NORTHWEST. THE RUNWAY AT ALTON BAY WAS PLOWED TO 2,500 FEET AND WAS ICE. DUE TO SUNSHINE AND SLIGHTLY HIGHER TEMPERATURES THE TOP OF THE ICE WAS SMOOTH AND SLIPPERY. CONES AND WOODEN STAKES MARKED THE RUNWAY, THERE WERE NO VISUAL APPROACH AIDS.
THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS PARTIALLY SEVERED AND THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS COLLAPSED. ALL THREE PROPELLER BLADES EXHIBITED Q-TIPPING. THE RIGHT WING WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE FUSELAGE BOTTOM EXHIBITED IMPACT DAMAGE.
A VIDEO OF THE APPROACH FILMED BY A BYSTANDER SHOWED THE AIRPLANE IN A NORMAL LANDING PROFILE, THE ENGINE SOUNDED, AND APPEARED TO BE RUNNING. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT FLARED PRIOR TO IMPACT BUT CONTINUED ON AN APPROACH PROFILE. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED STABLE THROUGHOUT THE APPROACH.
THE PIC REPORTED THAT WINDS WERE LIGHT AND WEATHER WAS CLEAR. SHE ELECTED TO MAKE HER APPROACH SLIGHTLY SLOWER THAN NORMAL AT ABOUT 70KTS AND AIMED FOR THE THRESHOLD SO AS TO HAVE AS MUCH RUNWAY AS POSSIBLE. THE PIC STATED THAT APPROACH WAS STABLE AND EVERYTHING FELT NORMAL UNTIL SHE IMPACTED THE TERRAIN. SHE STATED THAT SHE WAS FOCUSED DOWN THE RUNWAY AND SUSPECTED THAT PERHAPS DUE TO THE SNOW AND LARGELY FEATURELESS TERRAIN AROUND THE RUNWAY SHE LOST AWARENESS OF HER ALTITUDE AND THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS HIGHER THAN SHE WAS.
BASED ON A LOGBOOK REVIEW IT WAS EVIDENCED THAT THE PILOT HAD NOT COMPLETED A FLIGHT REVIEW SINCE OCTOBER 2021.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.