- Date
- May 24, 2012, 15:26 local (23:26 UTC)
- Place
- McGrath, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N111AXBeech 1900C
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Tailstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120524011169A
- Case key
- 83748
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 unstable approach and overrotation, which resulted in a tailstrike.
Findings · 2
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 gravel runway. He said that a hill was located in the flight path to the runway, which required a steeper-than-normal approach. The pilot said he misjudged the wind and the rate of descent on final approach. He overrotated in the flare, and the airplane’s tail struck the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the lower aft fuselage. He said that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing a twin turboprop airplane on a gravel runway. A hill lies in the normal glide path to the runway, requiring a steeper than normal approach. The pilot said he misjudged the wind, and the rate of descent on final approach. He over rotated in the flare, and struck the tail, resulting in substantial damage to the lower aft fuselage. He indicated there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N111AX
- Reported as
- Beech 1900C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- UC-81
- Airframe hours
- 60,203
- Engines
- P&W Canada PT6A-60A, 1,050 horsepower, turbo propP&W Canada PT6A-60A, 1,050 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Alaska Central Express Inc.
- Registered owner
- Alaska Central Express Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 9, 2012
- Departed
- PANC · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- AK40 · McGrath, AK
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- AK40 · Nixon Fork Mine, runway 34, 4,200 × 100 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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 28, 2012
- Flight hours
- 21,000 total · 15,000 in this make and model · 295 in the last 90 days · 89 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 29, 2011
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,100 total · 1,400 in this make and model · 209 in the last 90 days · 56 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 27, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.4 MB 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 N111AX · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.