- Date
- February 3, 2000, 14:05 local (19:05 UTC)
- Place
- Knox, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1489LBeech A23
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 9, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000203036399A
- Case key
- 48608
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 instructor pilot not performing remedial action on the student's right drift during the flare. Factors were the student not maintaining directional control, the student not maintaining proper centerline alignment, and the snowbank.
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 accident airplane impacted a snowbank during a landing at Starke County Airport. The pilots were uninjured. The instructor stated that the airplane taxied through slushy snow and departed Porter County Municipal Airport {VPZ}. He said the student performed two go arounds. On the third attempt, the aircraft settled onto the runway the aircraft and pulled to the right. The instructor took the controls and added full power. The instructor said that the 'right tire went into snow bank along side of runway and pulled aircraft off of runway, skidding side ways and collapsing nose wheel. After departing aircraft I checked runway and found a single skid tiremark on runway, about 20 feet long. My assumption is that the slush during taxi at VPZ froze the tire up and caused us to be pulled off runway on landing at Stark County Airport.' The student stated, 'Upon my flare I drifted slightly right of center line and sat the plane down. It immediately pulled to the right.' The airplane was moved prior to an on-scene examination. The examination did not reveal any anomalies.
Factual narrative
On February 3, 2000, at 1405 eastern standard time, a Beech A23, N1489L, sustained substantial damage on impact with a snowbank during a landing on runway 36 (4,400 feet X 75 feet, dry/asphalt) at Starke County Airport, near Knox, Indiana (OXI). The flight was being conducted as a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, in visual meteorological conditions, with a student pilot and certified flight instructor on board. The pilots sustained no injuries. The flight originated from Porter County Municipal Airport, Valparaiso, Indiana (VPZ) at 1220 central standard time and was landing at OXI at the time of the accident.
The instructor stated, "While taxing to active runway we went through slushy snow area not cleared by airport personnel. We departed VPZ [and] stayed in pattern and performed a go-around on 27. Departed VPZ for OXI to perform x wind landings so that student could solo at VPZ. Student performed two go-around and on third attempt had every thing lined up for a good landing. As the aircraft settled onto the runway the aircraft pulled to the right. I grabbed controls, added full power. Right tire went into snow bank along side of runway and pulled aircraft off of runway, skidding side ways and collapsing nose wheel. After departing aircraft I checked runway and found a single skid tiremark on runway, about 20 feet long. My assumption is that the slush during taxi at VPZ froze the tire up and caused us to be pulled off runway on landing at Stark County Airport."
The student stated, "Upon my flare I drifted slightly right of center line and sat the plane down. It immediately pulled to the right."
The airplane was moved prior to a Federal Aviation Administration examination. The examination did not reveal any anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1489L
- Reported as
- Beech A23
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M889
- Airframe hours
- 3,438
- Engine
- Continental IO346, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles A. White Et Al
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 12, 1999 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- VPZ · Valparaiso, IN
- Destination
- OXI
- Airport
- OXI · Starke County Airport, runway 36, 4,400 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 28 in this make and model · 2,900 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VPZ, 18 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.