ANC99LA044

The certificated private pilot was planning to practice touch and go landings. After takeoff, he began his first landing approach to the runway. The terrain around the airport was snow-covered. The pilot said that light snow showers had begun in the area, and during his approach, the light conditions were flat. He touched down in an area that he thought was the approach end of the runway. Instead, the pilot landed about 300 feet short of the runway in an area of snow-covered terrain. The airplane rapidly decelerated and nosed over. A METAR from the airport was reporting the visibility as eight miles in light snow. Snow began two minutes before the accident.

On April 6, 1999, about 1409 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Luscombe 8A airplane, N39091, sustained substantial damage during a landing at the Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was registered to, and operated by the pilot. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Fairbanks airport about 1403.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on April 7, 1999, at 1200, the pilot reported he intended to practice touch and go landings. After takeoff, he began his first landing approach to runway 19L. The pilot said that light snow showers had begun in the area, and during his approach, the light conditions were flat. He touched down in an area that he thought was the approach end of the runway. Instead, he landed about 300 feet short of the runway in an area of snow-covered terrain. The airplane rapidly decelerated and nosed over. The airplane received damage to the upper end of the vertical stabilizer, the rudder, and the propeller.

At 1414, an Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) from the Fairbanks Airport was reporting, in part: Wind, 250 degrees (true) at 5 knots; visibility, 8 statute miles in light snow; clouds and sky condition, 2,800 feet broken, 4,200 feet broken, 8,000 feet broken, 20,000 feet overcast; temperature, 32 degrees F; dew point, 26 degrees F; altimeter, 29.57 inHg; remarks, snow began at 1407.