Event ANC94LA035

Factual narrative

On February 26, 1994, at 2122 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Cessna 402 airplane, N681RC, registered to and operated by Baker Aviation of Kotzebue, Alaska, collapsed the left main and nose landing gear after landing at Kivalina, Alaska. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed Kotzebue and the destination was Kivalina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The accident occurred during the hours of darkness. There were no injuries to the Pilot-in-Command or 5 passengers and the airplane received substantial damage. According to the Pilot-in-Command, he overflew the runway to perform a visual inspection as called for in the Alaska Supplement. In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2 the Pilot indicates he observed the direction of the wind but he does not mention the runway condition. He further stated that he touchdown on the first one third of the runway and the airplane began drifting to the left. He applied control corrections but the airplane continued to drift left and departed the left side of the runway. According to one passenger, the wind was blowing from the north because of the crab angle of the airplane. He further stated the airplane landed close to the left hand side of the runway. After landing the airplane began to veer to the left and then departed the left side of the runway. According to the Operator, the pilot overflew the runway before landing. During the landing rollout, about midway down the runway, the airplane struck a snowdrift and collapsed the left main and nose landing gear. The pilot did not see the snowdrift. According to a video tape provided by the company, taken the next morning, the runway was snow covered and packed. The tracks on the left side of the runway show that the runway was recently plowed, further evidenced by the location of the snowplow tracks which go around the tail of the airplane. The video tape also shows snow drifts, which appeared after the runway was plowed and after the accident, that extend from the runway lights into the runway approximately 15 feet. The accident occurred during the hours of darkness. The crosswind component for this landing was 19 knots from the left side. THE PILOT LANDED AT NIGHT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY WITH A 19 KT CROSSWIND COMPONENT FROM THE LEFT. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO DRIFT LEFT TOWARD DRIFTING SNOW, AND SUDDENLY VEERED LEFT AND DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE RUNWAY WAS PLOWED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED HE HIT A SNOW DRIFT DURING LANDING. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12