ANC11LA009

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 208B · Kipnuk, AK · January 6, 2011

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
January 6, 2011, 13:26 local (17:26 UTC)
Place
Kipnuk, AK
Injuries
6 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N715HECessna 208B
Defining event
Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report May 11, 2011
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
Parties
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20110106001129A
Case key
78125

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 decision to land long on the icy snow-covered runway, resulting in a runway excursion and collision with terrain.

Findings · 3

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.

Aircraft capability: landing distanceAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Capability exceededCessna 208B: 3 casesAll aircraft: 68 cases

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 pilot of the scheduled commuter flight reported that following a normal landing approach, he landed long to avoid a bump in the runway. He applied the brakes during the landing roll, but realized the airplane was still traveling too fast to stop on the snow and ice-covered runway. He said he did not have enough area to abort the landing and applied maximum brakes. The airplane overran the departure end of the runway and impacted a ditch, coming to rest right wing and nose low. The pilot said that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations. The right wing sustained structural damage.

Factual narrative

On January 6, 2011, about 1326 Alaska standard time, a Cessna 208B, N715HE, sustained substantial damage during landing on runway 33 at the Kipnuk Airport (PAKI), Kipnuk, Alaska. The airplane was registered to Icecap LLC Trustee, Anchorage, Alaska, and operated by Hageland Aviation, Anchorage, as scheduled commuter Flight 161 under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. The commercial certificated captain, first officer, and the four passengers, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was active. The flight originated at Bethel, Alaska at 1240, with an intended destination of Kipnuk. During a telephone conversation with the Safety Board investigator-in-charge, the captain reported that following an uneventful flight, he obtained the current weather conditions at PAKI from the airport's automated surface observation system, noting the wind was from the northeast at 10 knots. He said he flew over the airport, and entered a left downwind for runway 33. The captain stated that following a normal approach, he landed long on the 2120 foot long runway to avoid a bump in the runway. As the airplane touched down on the runway, he applied brakes and moved the propeller into beta. During the landing roll, he realized the airplane was still traveling too fast on the snow and ice covered runway to stop, and he did not have enough area to abort the landing. He said he applied maximum brakes, but the airplane overran the departure end of runway 33, and impacted a ditch. The airplane came to rest right wing and nose low. Examination of the airplane by the captain revealed that the right wing was bent upwards about 3 to 4 feet inboard from the wingtip. The captain noted that there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane that contributed to the accident.

Aircraft

Registration
N715HE
Reported as
Cessna 208B
Category
Airplane
Serial number
208B0603
Engine
P&W PT6A SER, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Part 135
Operator
Hageland Aviation
Registered owner
Icecap LLC Trustee
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
PABE · Bethel, AK
Destination
PAKI · Kipnuk, AK
Flight plan
Company VFR
Airport
PAKI · Kipnuk Airport, runway 33, 2,120 × 35 ft, gravel

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 · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
34
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
October 16, 2010
Seat
Left
Flight hours
2,800 total · 200 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days
Role
Co-pilot
Age
23
Injuries
None
Certificates
Commercial, Flight instructor
Airplane ratings
Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Seat
Right

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
19 °F, dew point 19 °F
Altimeter
30.07 inHg
Observed at
PAKI

Docket · 4

The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 2, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 704 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.