# NTSB ANC93LA038: Cessna U206A, N8076Z, Willow, AK, February 28, 1993 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 28, 1993, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC) - Place: Willow, AK - Coordinates: 61.889583, -149.73088 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.8896&lon=-149.7309&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 30, 1994 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 2328 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC93LA038 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/2328/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC93LA038 ## Probable cause THE ABRUPT AIRCRAFT HANDLING BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND. FACTORS WERE THE COLLAPSE OF THE NOSE GEAR AND THE SOFT, SNOW COVERED TERRAIN. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Nose gear collapsed, taxi - to takeoff - landing gear,nose gear - overload (contributing factor) - aircraft handling - abrupt, pilot in command (cause) - terrain condition - snow covered (contributing factor) - terrain condition - soft (contributing factor) ## Analysis THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS TAXIING THE AIRPLANE FOR TAKEOFF AND DID NOT SEE THE DOUBLE SNOW MACHINE TRACKS IN THE SNOW. THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE BOUNCED UP WHEN IT CROSSED THE TRACKS AND THE PILOT PUSHED THE NOSE BACK DOWN. THE NOSE WHEEL SKI TIP DUG INTO THE SOFT SNOW AND THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. ## Factual narrative On February 28, 1993, at 1800 Alaska standard time, a wheel ski equipped Cessna 206 airplane, N8076Z, registered to and operated by the Pilot in Command, collapsed its nose gear during taxi for takeoff on Kashwitna Lake located near Willow, Alaska. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, had departed Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, and the destination was Kashwitna Lake and return to Elmendorf. A visual flight rules flight plan was in effect and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The Airline Transport certificated pilot and the one passenger were not injured, and the airplane received substantial damage. According to the Pilot, he was taxiing at 15 to 20 knots when the airplane taxied over double snow machine tracks. He stated that the tracks were difficult to see. The nose of the airplane came off the ground and when he pushed the nose back on the ground the toe of the nose wheel ski dug into the soft snow, caused the airplane to turn to the right abruptly, and collapsed the nose gear. The airplane nosed up and struck the propeller and left wing on the snow. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8076Z](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8076Z), registered now, S/N U206-0476, built 1965 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA U206A - Registry model: [Cessna U206A](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-u206a) (registry code 2073316) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: U206-0476 - Airframe hours: 3576 - Engines: CONTINENTAL IO-520A 285 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Bowers, Don S. Jr. - Registered owner: Bowers, Don S. Jr. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 6, 1992, 76 hours before - Departed: KASHWITNA LAKE, AK - Flight plan: VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 45; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 6,741 total, 721 in this make and model, 4,408 as pilot in command, 19 in the last 90 days, 17 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 99 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 32 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19930228004139A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930228004139A), Feb 28, 1993: Cessna U206A, Willow, AK, Substantial damage. Taxiing ski equipped aircraft on frozen snow covered lake. Crossed snowmobile tracks. Nose ski dug in. Collapsed gear ## Other investigations on N8076Z (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB GAA16CA455](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA455), Aug 17, 2016: Cessna U206 (N8076Z), Sleetmute, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's exceedance of the critical angle of attack during the landing flare, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a hard landing. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.