- Date
- May 3, 2012, 10:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- Chefornak, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1906Short Bros. & Harland SC7 Series 3
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-03
- Case key
- 83557
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 misidentification of a nearby snow-covered road as the snow-covered runway in flat light conditions.
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.
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 was landing on a narrow gravel runway adjacent to a gravel road. He reported that both the road and runway were covered with snow and that flat light conditions made it difficult to discern between the two surfaces. He inadvertently landed to the left of the runway on the rough road, which resulted in structural damage to the nose landing gear bulkhead.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing on a narrow gravel runway adjacent to a gravel road. He reported that both the road and runway were covered with snow, and that flat light conditions made it difficult to discern between the two surfaces. He inadvertently landed to the left of the runway on the rough road, which resulted in structural damage to the nose landing gear bulkhead.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1906
- Reported as
- Short Bros. & Harland SC7 Series 3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- SH1906
- Airframe hours
- 9,970
- Engines
- Honeywell TPE331-2-201A, 750 horsepower, turbo propHoneywell TPE331-2-201A, 750 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Ryan Air Inc
- Registered owner
- Ryan Air Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · April 2, 2012
- Departed
- PABE · Bethel, AK
- Destination
- PACK · Chefornak, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- PACK · Chefornak, runway 34, 2,500 × 28 ft, 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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 20, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 19,544 total · 4,682 in this make and model · 18,942 as pilot in command · 194 in the last 90 days · 91 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.84 inHg
- Observed at
- PACK
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 27, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 MB in all.