- Date
- March 7, 1996, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9211TCessna 185
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19960307005829A
- Case key
- 2806
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Analysis
During a touch-and-go landing, the pilot started to apply brakes, the airplane veered to the left, struck a snowbank off the left side of the runway, and nosed over. The runway condition was reported as areas of patchy ice. This information was available on the Automatic Terminal Information System (ATIS). The pilot stated that he had listened to the ATIS information.
Factual narrative
On March 7, 1996, at 1700 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Cessna 185 airplane, N9211T, registered to and operated by the pilot, ran off the left side of the runway, hit a snowbank, and nosed over. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed Merrill Field for touch and go landings. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged.
During an interview with the pilot on March 7, 1996, he stated he landed in the center of runway 24 at Merrill Field. The center was dry until he reached the vicinity of the intersection of the first high speed taxiway and runway 24. There were patches of ice on the runway at the intersection. As he started to use the brakes on the airplane, he lost control of the airplane and it veered left. The airplane struck the snow bank located off the left side of the runway.
During an interview with the assistant airport manager, he stated that he gave the information about the runway's patchy ice conditions to Merrill Tower for distribution. The Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) was carrying the remark that the runway had patchy areas of ice.
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
- N9211T
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1850711
- Airframe hours
- 4,000
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-F, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Norbert Streb
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 23, 1995 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- MRI
- Airport
- MRI · Merrill Field, runway 24, 3,999 × 100 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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 300 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 19 °F
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 N9211T · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.