Beech 65-A90-1 accident near Soldotna, Alaska, February 16, 2009
On February 16, 2009 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Beech 65-A90-1, registered N418SP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Soldotna, Alaska (Soldotna airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's misidentification of the runway surface during landing. Contributing to the accident were the snow-covered terrain, and low-light conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 2009 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Soldotna, Alaska · Soldotna · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65-A90-1 · all 65-A90-1s on the register
- Registration
- N418SP · no longer on the register · serial LM-138
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot was making a personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The pilot said when he arrived at the destination airport there was 3-4 inches of new snow, and that the overcast and low light condition made everything look gray. He said the visual approach slope indicator (VASI) lights were inoperative, and the appropriate notice to airman (NOTAM) was issued. He said he turned on the runway lights, identified what he thought was the runway surface, and lined up the runway edge lights on his left. After the airplane touched down he said he realized that he landed to the right of the runway surface, with the right side runway edge lights on his left. The pilot said the airplane settled into deep snow, and impacted a snowbank, collapsing the landing gear. In a written statement the pilot wrote that given the snow and light conditions, using the wide area augmentation system (WAAS) instrument flight rules (IFR) approach would have aligned the airplane with the runway surface. The pilot said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The airplane sustained structural fuselage damage during the accident.
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
- Loss of visual reference during landing defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusio › Visual illusion/disorientation › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › Snow/slush/ice covered › Not specified
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Low light › Effect on personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 1,730 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 13,500 as pilot in command; 6,800 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 14, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,807 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 10, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 10,200 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-20 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Missionary Aviation Repair Center
The flight
- Departed from: PAWS Wasilla AK at 7:15 pm
- Destination: PASX Soldotna AK
- Runway 07, 5,000 ft by 130 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.50 inHg
- Observation at 7:16 pm from PASX
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.