Unalaska Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Unalaska, Alaska 99685
Wednesday, September 25, 1985 13:33 AKD

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ACFT WAS DISPATCHED TO RSTRCTD ARPT WITH A 3900' RWY & NOTAMED: 3' STNDG WTR ON NORTH END OF RWY. SIGMET WAS IN EFFECT FOR MOD TO SVR TURBC BLO 10,000' DUE TO STRONG LOW LVL WND & ASSOC WNDSHEAR. CAPT MADE A SHALLOW OVRWTR APCH TO RWY 12, WHICH HAD A NR VERT 70' BLUFF SKIRTING ITS L EDGE, APRX 106' FM RWY CENTERLINE. ON FINAL APCH, CAPT NOTED VARIABLE WND CONDS & SUDDEN 15 KT INCREASE IN IAS DUE TO WNDSHEAR. HE CONTD APCH, BUT ACFT SETTLED & TOUCHED DWN 72' SHORT OF RWY. L MAIN GEAR HIT A LOG (WASHED ONTO SHORE) & LARGE ROCK, THEN COLLAPSED AFTER ACFT BOUNCED & LNDD ON RWY. UNPREDICTABLE WNDS & DWNDFTS WERE RPRTDLY PREVALENT AT THIS ARPT. OFFICIAL 1349 ADT WND WAS FM 160 DEG AT 8 KTS, BUT AT APCH END OF RWY, WND WAS RPRTD COMING OVR BLUFF & WAS GUSTY. FAA HAD GRANTED MARKAIR EXEMPTION TO OPR AT UNALASKA W/O OVRRUN/SAFETY AREAS. NO VASI AT APCH END OF RWY 12. OWNER (STATE OF ALASKA) DELAYED IMPROVEMENTS DUE TO FUNDING PRBLMS. CAPT'S 10TH LNDG AT UNALASKA; HAD NO SUNGLASSES; BLINDED BY SUNGLARE OFF WTR. REQD DRY LNDG FIELD LENGTH WAS COMPUTED TO BE 3700'.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/25/1985
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1333
Event Time Zone --
Event City UNALASKA
Event State ALASKA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 99685
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude --
Event Location Longitude --
Event Location Airport UNALASKA
Event Location Nearest Airport ID DUT
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 12
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1349 Atlantic Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 130
Weather Observation Facility ID DUT
Elevation of weather observation facility 12
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation ADT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 3000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3000
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) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 13
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Minor
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor 1
Injury Total None 20
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2855
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 25 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1345
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 29322
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N674MA
NTSB Number ANC85MA183
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 121: Air Carrier
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name BOEING
Aircraft Model 737-2X6C
Aircraft Series Identifier 737-2X6C
Aircraft Serial Number 23292
Certified Max Gross Weight 128100
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 76
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Sep 18 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 59
Airframe Hours 614
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name MARKAIR, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 4100 W. INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Aircraft Owner City ANCHORAGE
Aircraft Owner State AK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 99502
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 Yes - certificate holder
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 Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight Domestic
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger/Cargo
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code ANC
Departure City ANCHORAGE
Departure State AK
Departure Country
Departure Time 1126
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 Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:04AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 12
Runway Length 3900
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --