- Date
- February 20, 2005, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kenai, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N270JSPiper J-5A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA-AL-ANC FSDO 03
- FAA report
- 20050220006409A
- Case key
- 61057
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for a precautionary landing, which resulted in a collision with a snow berm during the landing flare. Factors contributing to the accident were flat light conditions, the presence of a snow berm along the edge of a roadway selected as the landing area, and a high oil pressure gage indication.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While in cruise flight in a ski-equipped airplane, the commercial certificated pilot noticed that the engine oil pressure gauge was indicating high, near the maximum limit. He did not recall the engine oil temperature. He decided to make a precautionary landing on a snow-covered rural road that was about 25 feet wide and straight, with no obstacles. During the landing flare, the pilot said that flat light conditions prevented him from seeing a plowed snow berm along the right edge of the road. About 5 feet above the ground, the right main landing gear ski collided with the snow berm, and spun the airplane 180 degrees. The airplane then continued backwards into a large snow bank. The airplane received structural damage to the right wing and fuselage.
Factual narrative
On February 20, 2005, about 1300 Alaska standard time, a ski-equipped Piper J-5A airplane, N270JS, sustained substantial damage when it collided with a snow berm during a precautionary landing, about 28 miles west-southwest of Kenai, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The commercial certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Soldotna Airport, Soldotna, Alaska, at 1130. No flight plan was filed, nor was one required.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on February 23, the pilot reported that while in cruise flight, he noticed the engine oil pressure gauge was indicating high, near the maximum limit. He did not recall the engine oil temperature. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing toward the west on a rural road, about 3 miles northwest of the Driftriver, Alaska, airport. The remote, snow-covered road was about 25 feet wide and straight, with no obstacles. During the landing flare, the pilot said that flat light conditions prevented him from seeing a plowed snow berm along the right edge of the road. About 5 feet above the ground, the pilot said the right main landing gear ski collided with the snow berm, and spun the airplane 180 degrees. The airplane then continued backwards into a large snow bank. The airplane received structural damage to the right wing and fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N270JS
- Reported as
- Piper J-5A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5-18
- Airframe hours
- 3,386
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James R. Babcock
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2004
- Departed
- PASX · Soldotna, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2003
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,300 total · 600 in this make and model · 1,300 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- PAEN, 28 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N270JS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.