- Date
- March 17, 1993, 19:11 local (Mar 18, 1993, 00:11 UTC)
- Place
- Beckley, WV
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N159PCBritish Aerospace BAE 3101
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 10, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930317005549A
- Case key
- 11870
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
Failure of the captain to assure proper alignment with the plowed portion of the runway (or perform a missed approach). Factors related to the accident were: darkness, the adverse weather condition, inadequate removal of snow from the runway with snow along the left edge of the runway, and the lack of visual cues (perception) for the pilot(s).
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
After verifying weather was above minimums for landing, the captain began an ILS runway 19 approach at night in conditions of snow, drizzle & right quartering tailwind. Interviews with the pilots & information on the cockpit voice recorder revealed the approach lights were in sight before reaching the decision height. The pilots stated the airplane touched down 'slightly left of centerline,' then they 'lost sight of the runway edge lights.' At about that time, the airplane touched down on an unplowed portion (side) of the partially plowed runway, about 60' left of the centerline. The landing gear collapsed & the airplane slid to a stop with substantial damaged. The pilots had checked NOTAMS & were aware that 130' of the 150' wide runway was plowed, but the NOTAM did not state that plowing was not centered. According to FAA advisory circular ac 150/5200-30A, 'details' concerning a partially plowed runway should be reported via NOTAM. The 2' snow banks at the edges of the runway were slightly higher than the runway edge lights.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N159PC
- Reported as
- British Aerospace BAE 3101
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 768
- Airframe hours
- 9,201
- Engine
- Garrett TPE-331, 1,000 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Usair Express, doing business as Usair Express
- Registered owner
- First Security Bank Of Utah
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 3, 1993 · 87 hours before
- Departed
- CLT · Charlotte, NC
- Destination
- BKW
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BKW · Raleigh County, runway 19, 6,750 × 150 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
- 43
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 12,100 total · 1,800 in this make and model · 11,800 as pilot in command · 195 in the last 90 days · 91 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 340° at 9 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 100 ft
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BKW, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.