Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary ANC94LA031

KWIGILLINGOK, AK, USA

Aircraft #1

N6470H

CESSNA 207

Analysis

THE PILOT OF A SCHEDULED PART 135 COMMUTER FLIGHT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT A FOG SHROUDED AIRPORT ON A 2500 X 25 FT RUNWAY. WHEN THE PILOT VISUALLY ACQUIRED THE RUNWAY, IT WAS 100 FEET TO HIS LEFT. THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY STALLED THE AIRPLANE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ALIGN THE PLANE WITH THE RUNWAY.

Factual Information

On February 8, 1994, at approximately 1705 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Cessna 207 airplane, N6470H, owned and operated by Yute Air Alaska, collided with runway 33 during a landing attempt at Kwigillingok, Alaska. The airline transport certificated pilot-in-command and the five revenue passengers on board were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The scheduled commuter flight, conducted under 14 CFR Part 135 and operating as Flight 532, last departed Bethel, Alaska, at 1610 and the destination was Kwigillingok. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the general area of the accident site and a company VFR flight plan was in effect. During a telephone interview on the afternoon of February 10, 1994, the pilot-in-command informed the NTSB investigator-in- charge that there were patches of fog along the approach corridor to the airport and that the runway environment was obscured. The inflight visibility outside the airport traffic pattern area was from two to five miles. The visibility over the approach end of the runway and along the direct approach corridor to the runway was approximately one mile. At an altitude of about 400 feet above the ground and approximately 1 1/2 miles from the runway threshold, he maneuvered the airplane to the right of a fog bank and took up a heading that paralleled the runway. When he visually acquired the runway, it was about 100 feet to his left. By this time, he had selected and gotten full extension of the plane's wing flaps. He then throttle the plane's engine to idle and made a left turn towards the runway using approximately 25 to 30 degrees of bank. He overshot the runway centerline and initiated a right banking turn of about 25 to 30 degrees to align the airplane with the runway. While performing the turn, the airplane stalled and the right wing collided with the runway. The toxological results on the pilot were negative.

Probable Cause and Findings

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER AIRSPEED WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL AND HIS FAILURE TO INITIATE A GO-AROUND WHEN THE RUNWAY ENVIRONMENT WAS NOT CLEARLY DEFINED. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FOG.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

Get all the details on your iPhone or iPad with:

Aviation Accidents App

In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports