White Mountain Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

White Mountain, Alaska 99784
Thursday, May 18, 1989 12:30 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE ATP CERTIFICATED PILOT LANDED IN DEEP SNOW AT AN ABANDONED AND UNMAINTAINED AIRSTRIP AFTER FLYING OVER THE RECENTLY PLOWED ACTIVE RUNWAY. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE DID NOT SEE THE CLEARED ACTIVE RUNWAY BECAUSE IT WAS DIRECTLY BENEATH HIS AIRPLANE ON THE INITIAL OVERFLIGHT. HE ELECTED TO LAND AT THE ABANDONED STRIP BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN PARTIALLY CLEARED PREPARATORY FOR USE AS A STAGING AREA, AND HE THOUGHT IT WAS THE ACTIVE STRIP. AFTER LANDING, HE WAS TAXIING ON CRUSTED SNOW, WHEN THE NOSEWHEEL WENT THRU THE CRUSTED SURFACE & THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF THE WRONG RUNWAY, WHICH WAS CLOSED. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE SNOW CRUSTED RUNWAY.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/18/1989
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1230
Event Time Zone --
Event City WHITE MOUNTAIN
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99784
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport WHITE MOUNTAIN
Event Location Nearest Airport ID WMO
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 90
Airport Elevation 262
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 1500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 2
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 1
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 273
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 18 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1205
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38589
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:39PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N1997X
NTSB Number ANC89LA072
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 182H
Aircraft Series Identifier 182H
Aircraft Serial Number
Certified Max Gross Weight 2800
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Nov 15 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 200
Airframe Hours 3000
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DAILEY, JOHN W.
Aircraft Owner Street Address MILE 260 PARKS HWY.STAR RTE.1
Aircraft Owner City HEALY
Aircraft Owner State AK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99743
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code PAGA
Departure City GALENA
Departure State AK
Departure Country
Departure Time 1000
Departure Time Zone ADT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Taxi
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --