ANC21LA030

NTSB accident investigation · Beech C-99 · Chignik Lagoon, AK · April 16, 2021

Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal report
Date
April 16, 2021, 10:10 local (18:10 UTC)
Place
Chignik Lagoon, AK · KCL
Injuries
9 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N991AKBeech C-99
Defining event
Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
Investigation class
Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20210416005319A
Case key
102941

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 visually inspect the runway condition before landing, which resulted in a collision with an ice chunk and main landing gear separation during 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.

InspectionPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotBeech C-99: 1 caseAll aircraft: 29 casesProbable cause
Object/animal/substance: snow/iceEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on equipmentBeech C-99: 1 caseAll aircraft: 67 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 reported that, during final approach to land, he noticed a road grader operating on the far end of the runway. He made a radio transmission stating that the flight was 4 miles out on final approach and observed the road grader pull over at the opposite end of the airport and park. Believing that the operator of the road grader heard his call and parked, he proceeded with a normal approach and landing. After touchdown, he applied reverse with moderate braking. When the airplane was fully out of reverse and had slowed to about 35 mph, he noticed a large piece of foreign object debris (FOD) on the runway centerline. The FOD appeared to be about 18 inches wide and about 12 inches tall. He veered to the left in an effort to straddle the FOD with main landing gear. Subsequently, the right main landing gear struck the FOD, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane slid about 75 ft down the runway centerline before coming to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. A postaccident inspection revealed that the FOD was a chunk of ice. The pilot also learned that the road grader was not equipped with an aircraft radio. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration Supplement Alaska for the applicable airport under AIRPORT REMARKS states in part: Unattended. Rwy condition not monitored, recommend visual inspection prior to using. Seabirds on and invof arpt. Vehicle and pedestrians frequently use numerous roads and trails that cross rwy. Loose rocks on rwy sfc up to 6". Rwy 04–22 sfc contains numerous rocks and puddles. Several roads and trails cross Rwy 04–22. Rwy 04 thlds marked with orange reflective cones.

Aircraft

Registration
N991AK
Reported as
Beech C-99
Category
Airplane
Serial number
U-189
Built
1982
Airframe hours
27,917.9
Engines
P&W Canada PT6A-36, 783 horsepower, turbo propP&W Canada PT6A-36, 783 horsepower, turbo prop
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Business · Part 135
Operator
Lake Clark Air Inc
Registered owner
Lake Clark Air Inc
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · April 8, 2021
Departed
MRI · Anchorage, AK
Destination
Same as departure
Flight plan
Company VFR
Airport
KCL · Chignik Lagoon, runway 22, 2,200 × 90 ft, gravel
Equipment
ADS-B

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
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
Last flight review
January 9, 2021
Seat
Left
Restraint
Lap only
Flight hours
13,724 total · 3,020 in this make and model · 13,624 as pilot in command · 341 in the last 90 days · 139 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
37 °F, dew point 30 °F
Altimeter
30.49 inHg
Observed at
PAJC, 5 nm away
METAR
PAJC 161757Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM OVC050 03/M01 A3049 RMK AO2 SLP326 T00281011 10028 20000 51015

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 20, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.7 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.