Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Girdwood Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Girdwood, Alaska 99587
Sunday, December 28, 2008 14:30 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The private pilot/student, seated in the left seat, and the certified flight instructor, seated in the right seat, departed on a visual flight rules flight for mountain flying instruction and an Aero Club airplane checkout. The instructor decided to have the pilot land at an airport that had a 2,088 foot long runway. The first approach to the airport was high and fast, and the landing approach was aborted. On the second approach, the airplane was again high and fast, and touched down about 600 to 800 feet beyond the runway threshold. The runway surface was compacted snow and ice, and the braking action was poor. The airplane collided with a snow berm at the end of the runway, and received substantial damage to the landing gear and fuselage. The flight instructor did not take control of the airplane at any time before or during the accident sequence.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight instructor's lack of action to correct a high and fast landing approach which resulted in a long landing, and subsequent collision with a snow berm at the end of the runway. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's improper approach.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/28/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1430 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | Girdwood |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99587 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 605758N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1490733W |
| Event Location Airport | Girdwood |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | AQY |
| 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 | 150 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29025 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Regional Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 28 2009 4:13PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N453SP |
| NTSB Number | ANC09CA016 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172S |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 172S8297 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 27 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 46 |
| Airframe Hours | 4400 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | U.S. Air Force |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 10286 Taxiway P |
| Aircraft Owner City | Elmendorf AFB |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99506 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | U.S. Air Force |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 10286 Taxiway P |
| Operator City | Elmendorf AFB |
| Operator State | AK |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 99506 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PAED |
| Departure City | Elmendorf AFB |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | PAED |
| Destination City | Elmendorf AFB |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 28 2009 4:13PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 19 |
| Runway Length | 2008 |
| Runway Width | 73 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |