ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 236073
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Thursday 14 May 2020 |
| Time: | 21:00 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna A185F Skywagon |
| Owner/operator: | private |
| Registration: | N5454E |
| MSN: | 18503974 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1980 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 15202 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental IO-520 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Teshekpuk Lake Observatory, North Slope Borough, AK -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Nuiqsut, AK |
| Nuiqsut, AK | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot was conducting a commercial flight in his wheel/ski-equipped airplane with one passenger onboard in support of an arctic research project. He had overflown a potential landing site on a snow-and-ice-covered lake at a low altitude, and the area was determined to be unsuitable for landing. According to the passenger, after overflying the area the pilot initiated a left turn, toward the shoreline to return to their destination and subsequently impacted the ground.
GPS data from the accident flight revealed that the airplane flew along the north shore of the lake at a GPS altitude of about 136 ft variable to 232 ft before initiating a left turn and descending until it impacted terrain.
While the passenger reported a cabin and potential vegetation and terrain features visible in the left turn just before impact, it is likely that cloud conditions and snow-covered terrain present in the area resulted in flat light conditions, which would have hindered the pilot's ability to perceive terrain features and closure rates.
Probable Cause: The pilot's controlled flight into flat snow-covered terrain in weather conditions that were conducive to flat light conditions.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ANC20LA046
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N5454E
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-May-2020 04:08 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 16-May-2020 04:18 | Geno | Updated [Location, Source] |
| 16-May-2020 08:59 | RobertMB | Updated [Total occupants, Source] |
| 02-Mar-2021 19:46 | harro | Updated [Nature, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 01-Jul-2022 13:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
| 01-Jul-2022 13:32 | harro | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation