- Date
- March 17, 1996, 18:50 local (22:50 UTC)
- Place
- Willow, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N942SACessna 206
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Case key
- 2809
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for landing. Snow covered terrain that concealed uneven terrain was a factor in the accident.
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.
Analysis
The pilot was landing the ski-equipped airplane on a frozen and snow covered lake to pick up a passenger. During the landing roll, the airplane hit a small bump and the nose wheel ski broke through the surface of crusty snow. The nose ski then struck uneven terrain below the snow. The nose wheel was sheared off and the airplane nosed over.
Factual narrative
On March 17, 1996, about 1850 Alaska standard time, a ski equipped Cessna 206, N942SA, crashed during landing at Trapper Lake, about 15 miles north of Willow, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) positioning flight under Title 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by Susitna Air Service Inc., Willow, sustained substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. VFR company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated from Kashwitna Lake, Kashwitna, Alaska, about 1845.
The pilot reported that he was landing on the frozen and snow covered lake to pick up a passenger. During the landing roll, the airplane hit a small bump and the nose wheel ski broke through the surface of crusty snow. The nose ski then struck uneven terrain below the snow. The nose wheel was sheared off and the airplane nosed over. The airplane received damage to the vertical stabilizer and fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N942SA
- Reported as
- Cessna 206
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- U2060553
- Airframe hours
- 8,053
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-M, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Susitna Air Service Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 16, 1996 · 48 hours before
- Departed
- Kashwitna, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 5,500 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 19 °F
Other investigations on N942SA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.