- Date
- January 30, 1990, 19:15 local (Jan 31, 1990, 03:15 UTC)
- Place
- Coeur D'Alene, ID
- Injuries
- 21 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N56EASwearingen SA226TC
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900130001479A
- Case key
- 41164
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 loss of the flight crew's visual perception, due to an unforeseen whiteout condition. A related factor was 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 pilot reported that after reaching the airport, IMC prevailed and light snow was falling. At the decision height, the approach lights and the runway lights were in sight. The runway was covered with snow. During the flare to land, the pilot lost depth perception and runway alignment from blowing snow. The airplane touched down and the pilot believedthe plane was slightly left of the centerline. He corrected with right rudder; however, the airplane continued to travel left. Subsequently, it went off the runway and came to rest in a snowbank with damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N56EA
- Reported as
- Swearingen SA226TC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TC399
- Airframe hours
- 9,753
- Engine
- Garrett TPE-331, 840 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Empire Airlines
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · January 18, 1990 · 57 hours before
- Departed
- SEA · Seattle, WA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- COE · Coeur D'Alene, runway 5, 7,400 × 140 ft, snow
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,030 total · 1,847 in this make and model · 5,660 as pilot in command · 53 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.