Beech C-99 accident near Chignik Lagoon, Alaska, April 16, 2021
On April 16, 2021 at about 6:10 pm local time, a 1982 Beech C-99, registered N991AK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Chignik Lagoon, Alaska (Chignik Lagoon airport). It was a business flight under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to visually inspect the runway condition before landing, which resulted in a collision with an ice chunk and main landing gear separation during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 2021 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Chignik Lagoon, Alaska · Chignik Lagoon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech C-99, built 1982 · all C-99s on the register
- Registration
- N991AK · registry record · serial U-189
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during final approach to land, he noticed a road grader operating on the far end of the runway. He made a radio transmission stating that the flight was 4 miles out on final approach and observed the road grader pull over at the opposite end of the airport and park. Believing that the operator of the road grader heard his call and parked, he proceeded with a normal approach and landing. After touchdown, he applied reverse with moderate braking. When the airplane was fully out of reverse and had slowed to about 35 mph, he noticed a large piece of foreign object debris (FOD) on the runway centerline. The FOD appeared to be about 18 inches wide and about 12 inches tall. He veered to the left in an effort to straddle the FOD with main landing gear. Subsequently, the right main landing gear struck the FOD, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane slid about 75 ft down the runway centerline before coming to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. A postaccident inspection revealed that the FOD was a chunk of ice. The pilot also learned that the road grader was not equipped with an aircraft radio. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration Supplement Alaska for the applicable airport under AIRPORT REMARKS states in part: Unattended. Rwy condition not monitored, recommend visual inspection prior to using. Seabirds on and invof arpt. Vehicle and pedestrians frequently use numerous roads and trails that cross rwy. Loose rocks on rwy sfc up to 6". Rwy 04–22 sfc contains numerous rocks and puddles. Several roads and trails cross Rwy 04–22. Rwy 04 thlds marked with orange reflective cones.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › (general) › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Expectation/assumption › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Snow/ice › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,724 hours in all; 3,020 in this make and model; 341 in the last 90 days; 139 in the last 30 days; 13,624 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 9, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 27,917.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 8, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 11,380 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W Canada PT6A-36 (turboprop); 25,190 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W Canada PT6A-36 (turboprop); 26,115 hours total
- Operator: Lake Clark Air INC
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 4:20 pm
- Runway 22, 2,200 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.49 inHg
- Observation at 9:57 am from PAJC, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAJC 161757Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM OVC050 03/M01 A3049 RMK AO2 SLP326 T00281011 10028 20000 51015
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 8 |
Other NTSB records under N991AK the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC21LA030.