- Date
- December 18, 2009, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Selawik, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N136SPStinson 108-1
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 6, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-01
- FAA report
- 20091218053039A
- Case key
- 75186
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 failure to maintain a proper descent rate during landing, resulting in a hard landing.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The private pilot was on a personal cross-country flight when he encountered whiteout conditions; he then reversed course to return to the departure airport. He reported that the visibility continued to diminish and he elected to land the ski-equipped airplane on a frozen, snow-covered lake. He said that the airplane landed hard on the uneven terrain, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the terrain. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident and that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was on a Title 14, CFR Part 91, personal cross-country flight. The pilot said en route to his destination he encountered whiteout conditions, and he reversed course to return to the departure airport. He reported that the visibility continued to diminish, and he elected to land the ski-equipped airplane on a frozen, snow-covered lake. He said the airplane landed hard on the uneven terrain, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the terrain. The pilot said there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident, and that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N136SP
- Reported as
- Stinson 108-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 108-931
- Engine
- Franklin 6A4150 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Roger Hunington
- Registered owner
- Roger Hunington
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PASK · Selawik, AK
- Destination
- PABL · Buckland, AK
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,000 total · 25 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 23, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 38 KB in all.
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 N136SP · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.