- Date
- March 26, 2013, 10:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N995SPDehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A)
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 4, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130326005831A
- Case key
- 86703
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 directional control of the airplane while taxiing on a snow-covered taxiway.
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 of the wheel-/ski-equipped airplane was taxiing for departure on a snow-covered taxiway when he lost directional control in the deep snow and veered to the left, colliding with a parked airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and lift strut. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The operator wrote that the accident may have been prevented if he had waited for the taxiway to be cleared of snow.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the wheel/ski equipped airplane was taxiing for departure on a snow-covered taxiway, when he lost directional control in the deep snow, and veered to the left colliding with a parked airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and lift strut. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the operator stated that the accident may have been prevented if they had waited for the taxiway to be cleared of snow.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N995SP
- Reported as
- Dehavilland DHC-2 MK. I(L20A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 995
- Airframe hours
- 15,514
- Engine
- P&W R-985 SERIES, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Joe Schuster, doing business as Sportsman Air Service
- Registered owner
- Sportsmans Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 14, 2013
- Departed
- Z41 · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Skwentna, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- Z41 · Lake Hood
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 16,200 total · 2,500 in this make and model · 16,100 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 7 °F, dew point -11 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- PANC, 1 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 20, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.