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Atlas / NTSB / ANC91IA037

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event ANC91IA037

1991-03-18 SHAGELUK, Alaska, United States Airport · SHX None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PIC'S FAILURE TO PROPERLY DETERMINE THE REQUIRED WIDTH OF RUNWAY NEEDED BY THEIR AIRPLANE AND INADEQUATE SNOW REMOVAL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE SNOW BERM AND THE COPILOT'S MISJUDGMENT OF RUNWAY WIDTH.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO GET CURRENT WEATHER AND AIRPORT INFORMATION PRIOR TO AND DURING FLIGHT CONCERNING THE RUNWAY AT SHAGELUK, ALASKA. THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION COULD NOT BE CONFIRMED AND THE FLIGHT SERVICE SPECIALIST DID NOT BELIEVE THE INFORMATION WAS CURRENT. UPON REACHING SHAGELUK, THE CREW OVERFLEW THE AIRPORT AND IT APPEARED TO BE SUITABLE FOR LANDING. UPON LANDING, THE LEFT PROPELLER STRUCK THE SNOW BERM AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED INTO THE BANK. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT CREW, THE RUNWAY WAS PLOWED ONLY 26 TO 35 FEET IN WIDTH. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_ANC91IA037.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.