Pilot Debrief

BEECH 58 near Sisters, OR — 2018-05-05

Final reportGAA18CA254
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Date
2018-05-05
Location
Sisters, OR, USA
Airport
6K5
Aircraft
BEECH 58
Registration
N222BD
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain sufficient altitude during approach in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in an attempted rejected landing and a runway undershoot.

NTSB narrative

The pilot performed a steep approach over tree-covered descending terrain to the tree-lined runway. He reported that, on the approach, the airplane "encountered significant low-level wind shear and sink" about 800 ft before the runway. He aborted the landing, but the airplane impacted the ground 150 ft short of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both engine mounts and the right-wing spar. The AWOS located on the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 250° at 13 knots, gusting to 22 knots. The density altitude was reported as 4,000 ft, and the pilot landed on runway 20, which was 3,560 ft long. The airport facility directory stated that runway 20 has a nonstandard entry due to rising terrain at the approach end, along with 81-ft-tall trees that were 560 ft from the approach end of the runway. In the recommendation section of the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented by avoiding nonstandard or steep approaches to runway 20 in gusting wind conditions. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Controlled flight into terrain
First missed decision gate
Avoiding non-standard or steep approaches in gusting wind conditions.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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