- Date
- June 23, 1998, 13:35 local (21:35 UTC)
- Place
- Skagway, AK
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N575BBeech A-35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 19, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19980623014799A
- Case key
- 3167
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 inadequate in-flight planning/decision to ensure the rudder pedals were locked in an operable position.
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 certificated commercial pilot, and the pilot rated passenger, were landing at their destination airport. The pilot was flying the airplane from the right seat, and was the sole manipulator of the controls. The airplane's right seat rudder pedals can be stowed against the floor when not in use. The pilot reported the airplane touched down, and about 1/2 down the runway, began to veer to the left. The pilot said the airplane's right side rudder pedals were not locked into an operable position, and he could not control the rudder or nose wheel steering. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, traveled through a fence, and then struck the corner of a residence. No persons on the ground were injured.
Factual narrative
On June 23, 1998, about 1335 Alaska daylight time, a Beechcraft A-35 airplane, N575B, sustained substantial damage while landing at the Skagway Airport, Skagway, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was registered to, and operated by the pilot. The certificated commercial pilot, and the pilot rated passenger, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Whitehorse Airport, Whitehorse, Canada, about 1245.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on June 23, 1998, at 1428, the pilot reported he was landing on runway 19 at Skagway. He was flying the airplane from the right seat, and was the sole manipulator of the controls. The pilot said the airplane's right seat rudder pedals can be stowed against the floor when not in use. The pilot reported the airplane touched down, and about 1/2 down the runway, began to veer to the left. The pilot said the airplane's right side rudder pedals were not locked into an operable position, and he could not control the rudder or nosewheel steering. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, and traveled through a fence. It struck a support pole for a satellite dish, and then struck the corner of a residence. No persons on the ground were injured. The residence received minor damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N575B
- Reported as
- Beech A-35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D1594
- Airframe hours
- 6,000
- Engine
- Continental E225-8, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles C. Morledge
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 28, 1998 · 54 hours before
- Departed
- CYXY · Whitehorse
- Destination
- SGY
- Airport
- SGY · Skagway, runway 19, 3,750 × 75 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
- 70
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,130 total · 475 in this make and model · 920 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SGY
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 N575B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.