Pilot Debrief

BEECH 1900C near Sitka, AK — 2010-10-18

Final reportANC11LA004
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Date
2010-10-18
Location
Sitka, AK, USA
Airport
PASI
Aircraft
BEECH 1900C
Registration
N111AX
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

A lightning strike which resulted in substantial damage to the elevator.

NTSB narrative

The captain, who was the non-flying pilot, reported that he altered their course to avoid thunderstorm activity. Once clear of the thunderstorms, they flew direct to the initial instrument approach fix. During the instrument approach to land, the flight crew saw a build up of static electricity, known as St. Elmo's fire, near the nose of the airplane. The first officer reported that the light from the static electricity was very bright, and he decided to keep his eyes focused on the instruments. Shortly thereafter, lightning struck the nose of the airplane and the associated flash temporarily blinded the captain. The first officer continued to fly the approach without difficulty. Once the captain regained his sight, he took the flight controls and completed the landing. During a postaccident inspection of the airplane, the flight crew discovered substantial damage to the right elevator.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Environmental
First missed decision gate
Avoiding flight near thunderstorms could have prevented the lightning strike.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents5

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