Swearingen SA226TC accident near Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, January 31, 1990
On January 31, 1990 at about 3:15 am local time, a Swearingen SA226TC, registered N56EA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Coeur D'Alene, Idaho (Coeur D'Alene airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 21 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 LOSS OF THE FLIGHT CREW'S VISUAL PERCEPTION, DUE TO AN UNFORESEEN WHITEOUT CONDITION. A RELATED FACTOR WAS THE SNOWBANK.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 1990 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Coeur D'Alene, Idaho · Coeur D'Alene · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 21 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA226TC · all SA226TCs on the register
- Registration
- N56EA · no longer on the register · serial TC399
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER REACHING THE AIRPORT, IMC PREVAILED AND LIGHT SNOW WAS FALLING. AT THE DECISION HEIGHT, THE APPROACH LIGHTS AND THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE IN SIGHT. THE RUNWAY WAS COVERED WITH SNOW. DURING THE FLARE TO LAND, THE PILOT LOST DEPTH PERCEPTION AND RUNWAY ALIGNMENT FROM BLOWING SNOW. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN AND THE PILOT BELIEVEDTHE PLANE WAS SLIGHTLY LEFT OF THE CENTERLINE. HE CORRECTED WITH RIGHT RUDDER; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL LEFT. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT WENT OFF THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST IN A SNOWBANK WITH DAMAGE.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,030 hours in all; 1,847 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days; 5,660 as pilot in command; 1,098 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,753 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 18, 1990; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 13,230 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Empire Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: SEA Seattle WA at 1:08 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 7,400 ft by 140 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 19 |
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.