Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Soldotna Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Soldotna, Alaska 99669
Wednesday, December 18, 2002 21:10 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The two certificated airline transport pilots were positioning the airplane for a medical transport flight. The captain said that during his preflight weather briefing, the dispatcher informed him that there was a current Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) concerning 6 inches of loose snow on the runway at the destination airport. The dispatcher said that he had called the airport maintenance manager, at his home, in order to check on the current status of the runway. According to the dispatcher, the airport manager confirmed that there were 6 inches of snow on the runway, and stated that the runway would not be plowed until the next morning. The dispatcher reported to the captain that the airport maintenance manager said: "there were small planes going in and out of there all day, and that conditions were okay." According to the airport maintenance manager, he received a call from the operator's dispatcher, at home, requesting an updated report on the runway conditions. He said that he confirmed that there was still about 5-1/2 inches of snow on the runway, and that it would not be removed until early the next morning. He said that he told the dispatcher: "landing would be at your own risk." The captain said that just after touchdown, the airplane's main landing gear dug into the deep snow, and the airplane experienced a rapid deceleration. He said that the airplane tracked down the centerline on the runway for about 900 feet, but eventually veered to the left. The left propeller struck a runway edge light, and the airplane continued off the left side of the runway, down an embankment, and into an area of tree-covered terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. Both flight crewmembers noted that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flightcrew's selection of an unsuitable landing area, which resulted in a loss of directional control and an on ground encounter with terrain. A factor associated with the accident was a snow-covered, unplowed runway.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/18/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2110 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | Soldotna |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99669 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 602800N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1510100W |
| Event Location Airport | Soldotna |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SXQ |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 180 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2135 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PASX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 108 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.9 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14122 |
| NTSB Notification Source | ANC FAA, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 19 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 800 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 25 2003 11:36AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Anchorage FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N55ZP |
| NTSB Number | ANC03LA019 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Swearingen |
| Aircraft Model | SA-226T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | T-299 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 12500 |
| 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 | 9 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 10 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 13.4 |
| Airframe Hours | 5688.8 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | F S AIR SERVICE INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6121 South Airpark Place |
| Aircraft Owner City | Anchorage |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99502 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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 | STZA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ANC |
| Departure City | Anchorage |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2040 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | SXQ |
| Destination City | Soldotna |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - roll |
| Report sent to ICAO? | Yes |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 12 2003 1:56PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PETL |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 25 |
| Runway Length | 5000 |
| Runway Width | 130 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | Yes |
| Medical Flight | Medical Emergency |