Beech 1900D accident near Saranac Lake, New York, January 21, 1998
On January 21, 1998 at about 1:30 am local time, a Beech 1900D, registered N854CA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Saranac Lake, New York (Saranac Lake Adirondack airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 12 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The inadequate snow removal from the runway by airport personnel which left a snow bank extending onto the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 21, 1998 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Saranac Lake, New York · Saranac Lake Adirondack · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 12 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 1900D · all 1900Ds on the register
- Registration
- N854CA · registry record · serial UE-60
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the night landing on a snow covered runway, the twin-turboprop airplane drifted left into deeper snow, struck a snow bank and came to a stop. The flightcrew had been informed that the runway was cleared to its full width of 150 feet, with 1/4 inch of snow over patches of ice. Post-accident observation of the runway revealed that there were snow banks 2 to 4 feet high on both sides, and snow extended from both sides inward for about 20 feet, at a depth of 4 to 6 inches. A snow bank also extended out from a taxiway approximately 20 feet onto the runway.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,989 hours in all; 2,213 in this make and model; 128 in the last 90 days; 58 in the last 30 days; 912 as pilot in command; 110 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,433 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 14, 1998; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 16,950 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-67D (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ALB Albany NY
- Destination: SLK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 23, 6,573 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 am from SLK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 10 |
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.