# NTSB ANC02LA015: Boeing 727-100, N190AJ, Kotzebue, AK, February 14, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 14, 2002, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC) - Place: Kotzebue, AK - Coordinates: 66.885559, -162.598617 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=66.8856&lon=-162.5986&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 4 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 3, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Fairbanks FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 54198 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC02LA015 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54198/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54198 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC02LA015 ## Probable cause The pilot's decision to continue an unstabalized approach to landing. A factor associated with the accident is the pilot's failure to attain proper alignment with the runway. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Dragged wing,rotor,pod,float or tail/skid, circling (ifr) - proper alignment - not attained, pilot in command (contributing factor) - continued, pilot in command (cause) - clearance - not maintained, pilot in command ## Analysis During the base to final leg of the circle to land approach, the pilot overshot the centerline of the runway. On short final and at a low altitude, the pilot still had not attained alignment with the centerline of the runway. The pilot made a left turn, and then a right turn, attempting to align the airplane with the runway. During the right turn, he dragged the right wing on the snow-covered ground, damaging the outboard leading-edge slat. ## Factual narrative On February 14, 2002, about 1400 Alaska standard time, a Boeing 727-100 airplane, N190AJ, sustained substantial damage during an approach to landing at the Ralph Wien Memorial Airport, Kotzebue, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as an instrument flight rules (IFR) cargo flight under Title 14, CFR Part 121, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by Northern Air Cargo, Inc., Anchorage, Alaska, as Flight 20. The airline transport certificated pilot, and the three other crewmembers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Fairbanks Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on February 15, 2002, and a subsequent meeting on February 19, 2002, the director of operations for the operator said that the pilot was making a visual approach. He said that the pilot overshot the centerline of the runway while making the left turn from the base leg to the final segment of the approach. On the final segment of the approach, the pilot made a left, and then a right turn, attempting to realign the airplane with the centerline. During the right turn, the right wing struck the snow-covered ground. The pilot landed the airplane without further incident. During a meeting with the operator's director of maintenance on February 19, 2002, the director of maintenance said the right wing's outboard leading-edge slat was replaced because of the damage received in the accident, and the right wingtip was repaired. No other portions of the airplane were damaged. He said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. In a written statement, the pilot said he was executing the Vor Dme 2 Rwy 26 approach when he received information from Kotzebue radio that the winds favored runway 8. He told the co-pilot to tell Kotzebue radio they would circle and land on runway 8. The pilot wrote, "on the turn to final, I overshot the centerline of the runway and started correcting to the centerline." He said he was still "slightly correcting to centerline," when his "right wing dipped causing the right main to touch first." He said he was not aware of the wing dragging or the damage, until the flight engineer did a visual inspection of the airplane prior to departure. In a written statement, the first officer said "... upon rollout of 180 degree turn to runway 8. Yukon 20 was positioned outward from the visual centerline of runway 8 and continued toward runway 8 at an approximate 20-30 degree intercept, 060 to 050 heading. Upon approaching touchdown right wingtip struck ice, snow or combination of both at touchdown." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N190AJ](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N190AJ-2008-02-07), registration cancelled 2008-02-07, S/N 18878, built 1966 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Boeing 727-100 - Registry model: [Boeing 727-46](https://openairdocs.org/model/boeing-727-46) (registry code 1384013) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney JT8D series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-jt8d-series) (registry code 52053, turbo-jet) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18878 - Airframe hours: 74093 - Engines: P&W JT8D-7B 14500 lbs thrust turbo fan - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 121 - Registered owner: Northern Air Cargo Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, February 2, 2002, 41 hours before - Departed: PAFA, Fairbanks, AK - Destination: PAOT, Kotzebue, AK - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: OTZ, Ralph Wien Memorial, runway 08, 5,900 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 48; injuries: none; flight engineer, airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review August 27, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 10,018 total, 1,848 in this make and model, 150 in the last 90 days - Co-pilot; age 58; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review December 5, 2001; seat: right; flight hours: 8,500 total, 3,500 in this make and model - Other flight crew; injuries: none; seat: rear ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 10° at 15 knots - Visibility: 3 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 2,100 ft overcast - Temperature: 7 °F, dew point 3 °F - Altimeter: 29.27 inHg ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020214002139A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020214002139A), Feb 14, 2002: Boeing 72746, Kotzebue, AK, No damage. (-23) On February 14, 2002, northern air cargo, inc., flight number 20, N190AJ, was conducting a landing at Kotzebue, Alaska, at 2153 zulu. The aircraft was… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 13, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54198. 485 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 281 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40387300&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Flight Crew Statements (item 2, .PDF, 204 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40387301&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Flight%20Crew%20Statements-Redacted.PDF 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. --- 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.