NTSB CAROL · Event
Event SEA07LA145
Registry · N46SA
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
SWEARINGEN SA-226T
Year of manufacture
1973 · 34 years old at event
Engine
AIRESEARCH 331SER 705HP (705 hp)
Seats / Engines
8 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date
19730426
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A598D3
Registrant of record
HOPLAND STEVEN
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The nosewheel steering system's uncommanded turn during the landing roll, making it impossible for the pilot to maintain directional control. Factors include a snow bank running parallel to the side of the runway.
Factual narrative
On March 31, 2007, approximately 1830 mountain daylight time, a Swearingen SA-226T, N46SA, departed the runway and impacted a snow bank during the landing roll at McCall Municipal Airport, McCall, Idaho. The airline transport pilot and his six passengers were not injured, but the aircraft, which is registered to Matheson-Talmage LLC, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 business flight, which departed Paine Field, Everett, Washington, approximately two hours and fifteen minutes prior to the accident, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. The aircraft had been on an IFR flight plan. According to the pilot, the touchdown and rollout were uneventful until he activated/engaged the nose wheel steering system to make a left turn off the runway. At that time, the aircraft suddenly veered to the right and departed the side of the runway. After the aircraft departed the runway, it encountered a four foot high snow bank, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. After the accident, the nose wheel steering system was examined and tested, and it was determined that the nose wheel was making uncommanded turns when the system was activated. The source of the system malfunction that lead to the uncommanded turns could not be positively identified. The aircraft's touchdown and rollout were uneventful until the pilot activated/engaged the nosewheel steering system to make a left turn off the runway. At that time, the aircraft suddenly veered to the right and departed the side of the runway. After the aircraft departed the runway, it encountered a four-foot-high snow bank, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. After the accident, the nosewheel steering system was examined and tested, and it was determined that the nosewheel was making uncommanded turns when the system was activated. The source of the system malfunction that lead to the uncommanded turns could not be positively identified. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2007_SEA07LA145.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
Beyond the agency record
Search this event elsewhere.
Pre-filled searches into the sources where news + community discussion of aviation events lives. External sources are reported, not agency. Treat them as signal that something happened, not as fact about what happened.
Entity-clustered aviation events in the press — last 24 hr + 30-day archive.
Official agency record + docket.
Investigative docket: factual reports, photos, transcripts.
Long-running aviation incident database (Flight Safety Foundation).
Community NTSB synthesis blog — often has photos and witness reports.
Gold-standard aviation incident blog.
Aviation industry news search.
GA pilot forum — informed but rumor-prone.
GA pilot subreddit search.
Tail-number page — flight history (free tier limited).
AOPA Air Safety Institute search.
Mainstream press coverage. Recent events only.
Privacy-preserving news search.
External links open in a new tab. We don't ingest their content; we deep-link search queries.