- Date
- May 21, 1996, 13:55 local (21:55 UTC)
- Place
- Barrow, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N216CSBeech 99C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 20, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19960521031429A
- Case key
- 2844
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
an in-flight collision with a bird.
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 scheduled commuter flight was approximately 800 feet msl and 15 miles from its destination when a small duck struck the copilot's windshield. The duck penetrated the windshield and glanced off the copilot's face.
Factual narrative
On May 21, 1996, about 1355 Alaska daylight time, a Beech BE-99C airplane, N216CS, operated by Cape Smythe Air Service in visual meteorological conditions as scheduled commuter Flight 140 from Point Lay, Alaska, to Barrow, Alaska, sustained substantial damage when it collided in-flight with a duck. The airline transport certificated captain was not injured; the commercial certificated first officer received minor injuries. There were no passengers aboard the airplane.
The Director of Operations for the company and the FAA inspector assigned to the company as the Principal Operations Inspector, reported the bird strike occurred about 15 miles south of Barrow on the 210 degree radial of the Barrow VORTAC. The flight was reported to be about 800 feet msl when a duck collided with the right side first officer's windshield. The duck penetrated the windshield, struck the first officer across the left facial cheek,and continued to the rear of the airplane.
The first officer was treated for facial abrasions and released.
The duck's remains have been tentatively identified by a State of Alaska Fish and Wildlife employee as a "Squaw Duck". The duck's estimated preimpact weight was approximately 1.5 pounds.
The Operator indicated that the flight crew said that the duplex, electrically heated windshield was not being heated at the time of impact. The Operator also said the windshield had no known cracks or maintenance deficiencies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N216CS
- Reported as
- Beech 99C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4-216
- Airframe hours
- 12,599
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-36, 715 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Cape Smythe Air Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 12, 1996 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- PIZ · Pt. Lay, AK
- Destination
- BRW
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 27
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,376 total · 300 in this make and model · 3,945 as pilot in command · 275 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- 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.
Other investigations on N216CS · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.