- Date
- February 16, 2009, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Soldotna, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N418SPBeech 65-A90-1
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of visual reference
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 12, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20090216025069A
- Case key
- 73354
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's misidentification of the runway surface during landing. Contributing to the accident were the snow-covered terrain, and low-light conditions.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The airline transport pilot was making a personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The pilot said when he arrived at the destination airport there was 3-4 inches of new snow, and that the overcast and low light condition made everything look gray. He said the visual approach slope indicator (VASI) lights were inoperative, and the appropriate notice to airman (NOTAM) was issued. He said he turned on the runway lights, identified what he thought was the runway surface, and lined up the runway edge lights on his left. After the airplane touched down he said he realized that he landed to the right of the runway surface, with the right side runway edge lights on his left. The pilot said the airplane settled into deep snow, and impacted a snowbank, collapsing the landing gear. In a written statement the pilot wrote that given the snow and light conditions, using the wide area augmentation system (WAAS) instrument flight rules (IFR) approach would have aligned the airplane with the runway surface. The pilot said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The airplane sustained structural fuselage damage during the accident.
Factual narrative
The airline transport pilot was making a personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The pilot said when he arrived at the destination airport there was 3-4 inches of new snow, and that the overcast and low light condition made everything look gray. He said the visual approach slope indicator (VASI) lights were inoperative, and the appropriate notice to airman (NOTAM) was issued. He said he turned on the runway lights, identified what he thought was the runway surface, and lined up the runway edge lights on his left. After the airplane touched down he said he realized that he landed to the right of the runway surface, with the right side runway edge lights on his left. The pilot said the airplane settled into deep snow, and impacted a snowbank, collapsing the landing gear. In a written statement the pilot wrote that given the snow and light conditions, using the wide area augmentation system (WAAS) instrument flight rules (IFR) approach would have aligned the airplane with the runway surface. The pilot said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The airplane sustained structural fuselage damage during the accident.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N418SP
- Reported as
- Beech 65-A90-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- LM-138
- Airframe hours
- 11,807
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-20, 550 horsepower, turbo propPratt & Whitney PT6A-20, 550 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Missionary Aviation Repair Center
- Registered owner
- Missionary Aviation Repair Center
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · November 10, 2008
- Departed
- PAWS · Wasilla, AK
- Destination
- PASX · Soldotna, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- PASX · Soldotna, runway 07, 5,000 × 130 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 14, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 1,730 in this make and model · 13,500 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.50 inHg
- Observed at
- PASX
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.