Fairchild Swearingen SA 227-AC accident near Anchorage, Alaska, April 4, 2008
On April 4, 2008 at about 9:27 pm local time, a Fairchild Swearingen SA 227-AC, registered N650PA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Anchorage, Alaska (Anchorage Intl airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flightcrew's misjudged flare while landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 2008 · about 9:27 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Anchorage Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild Swearingen SA 227-AC
- Registration
- N650PA · no longer on the register · serial 775B
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the operator's director of operations, maintenance personnel discovered damage to the twin-engine turboprop airplane during a routine, daily inspection. A review of the airplane flight logs revealed that the airplane's damage most likely occurred as the result of a hard landing event during the last flight, earlier that day. The airplane sustained structural damage to the wings and fuselage. Neither of the two pilots reported any preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane, nor did they report any hard landing event.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,596 hours in all; 906 in this make and model; 624 in the last 90 days; 201 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: December 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,598 hours in all; 2,298 in this make and model; 236 in the last 90 days; 87 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 36,409 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 16,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett-Airesearch TPE 331-11U (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNP St Paul Island AK at 1:55 pm
- Destination: ANC Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 11,584 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.