- Date
- March 11, 2007, 19:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Gridwood, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2911XCessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20070311003719A
- Case key
- 65561
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 a snow-covered runway for landing, which resulted in a quick stop and damage to the airplane. A factor associated with the accident was the snow-covered runway.
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
The private certificated pilot was conducting a cross-country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. He indicated that he checked the few sources available to determine the condition of the destination airport's unmonitored runway. Upon arrival he made a low pass over the snow-covered runway, and said it looked like it had been plowed due to the berm on either side. He said during landing, the wheel-equipped airplane came to an abrupt stop in deep snow, damaging the right wing and propeller when they struck the ground. He stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The FAA's Alaska Airport Supplement states, in part: Unattended, runway not monitored, recommend visual inspection prior to landing.
Factual narrative
The private certificated pilot was conducting a cross-country personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. He indicated that he checked the few sources available to determine the condition of the destination airport's unmonitored runway. Upon arrival he made a low pass over the snow-covered runway, and said it looked like it had been plowed due to the berm on either side. He said during landing, the wheel-equipped airplane came to an abrupt stop in deep snow, damaging the right wing and propeller when they struck the ground. He stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The FAA's Alaska Airport Supplement states, in part: Unattended, runway not monitored, recommend visual inspection prior to landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2911X
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17700311
- Airframe hours
- 4,791
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Colonel W. Lindsey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2006
- Departed
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- AQY · Gridwood, AK
- Airport
- AQY · Girdwood, runway 19, snow
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 270 total · 71 in this make and model · 270 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.