Narrative:
After having been cleared to enter the Kotzebue airspace, the pilot established a GPS waypoint 4 miles (6,4 km) from runway 08 and descended to 1,000 feet. He continued inbound and descended to an altitude of 300 feet. At one mile from the airport, the pilot said he looked up from the instrument panel but could not see the airport. He also stated that he was in a whiteout condition. The airplane collided with the snow-covered sea ice, short of the runway threshold.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain altitude/clearance above the ground, resulting in a collision with snow and ice covered terrain during the final approach phase of a VFR landing. Factors in the accident were whiteout conditions and snow-covered terrain."
VFR flight in IMC
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Ground
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Sunday 2 March 2003 |
| Time: | 15:04 |
| Type: |  Cessna 208B Grand Caravan |
| Operator: | Bering Air |
| Registration: | N205BA |
| MSN: | 208B0890 |
| First flight: | 2001 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2082 |
| Engines: | 1 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Aircraft fate: | Repaired |
| Location: | 1,6 km (1 mls) W of Kotzebue Airport, AK (OTZ) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Shungnak Airport, AK (SHG/PAGH), United States of America |
| Kotzebue Airport, AK (OTZ/PAOT), United States of America |
After having been cleared to enter the Kotzebue airspace, the pilot established a GPS waypoint 4 miles (6,4 km) from runway 08 and descended to 1,000 feet. He continued inbound and descended to an altitude of 300 feet. At one mile from the airport, the pilot said he looked up from the instrument panel but could not see the airport. He also stated that he was in a whiteout condition. The airplane collided with the snow-covered sea ice, short of the runway threshold.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions, and his failure to maintain altitude/clearance above the ground, resulting in a collision with snow and ice covered terrain during the final approach phase of a VFR landing. Factors in the accident were whiteout conditions and snow-covered terrain."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
VFR flight in IMC
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Ground
Sources:
» NTSB ANC03LA029Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Shungnak Airport, AK to Kotzebue Airport, AK as the crow flies is 235 km (147 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Shungnak Airport, AK to Kotzebue Airport, AK as the crow flies is 235 km (147 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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