- Date
- January 28, 1992, 09:25 local (13:25 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 7 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N314SCPiper PA-31-T3
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920128005889I
- Case key
- 5657
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's continued taxi after becoming lost or disoriented. Factors relating to the accident were the whiteout conditions caused by the freshly falling and blowing snow and the inadequate snow removal by airport personnel.
Analysis
The pilot landed on runway 6R and was cleared to taxi via taxiway 'g'. After clearing the runway, the pilot turned onto the taxiway and continued across runway 6L on the same ground track as the taxiway between the two runways. However, taxiway 'g' does not align with itself once reaching the northwest side of runway 6L. The pilot stated he was unable to see the taxiway lights or the taxiway sign and consequently taxied into a snowbank. The visibility was at least 3/4 of a mile and lower due to taxiing turbojet aircraft. Examination of the taxiway lights and sign showed that some of the taxiway lights were obscured by the snow depth and the sign was not visible because there was snow adhering to the face.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N314SC
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-T3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31T-8275007
- Airframe hours
- 6,396
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-11, 500 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- South Central Air Inc.
- Registered owner
- South Central Air Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 22, 1992 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- ENA · Kenai, AK
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ANC · Anchorage International, runway 6, 10,900 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 33
- Certificates
- Commercial, Foreign, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,956 total · 600 in this make and model · 2,750 as pilot in command · 270 in the last 90 days · 90 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 4 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 19 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ANC, 1 nm away
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 N314SC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.