What happened
On July 8, 2019, a Grant Aviation Cessna 208B, registration N9448B, was involved in an accident at the Bethel Airport (BET) in Alaska. The flight was the final leg of a scheduled five-leg passenger service from Newtok Airport.
While approaching the airport, the pilot requested to use runway 12, a short gravel runway, to expedite the arrival and assist the busy air traffic control tower. The pilot conducted a visual approach with a higher-than-normal traffic pattern altitude due to terrain and visibility. During the landing flare, the aircraft floated halfway down the runway. Fearing insufficient stopping distance, the pilot initiated a go-around by advancing the throttle to maximum and retracting the flaps to 20° after the main gear briefly touched the runway.
As the aircraft climbed, the tower local controller issued two urgent instructions for the pilot to turn left immediately to avoid conflicting traffic on runway 1L. In an attempt to comply with these instructions and avoid cross-traffic, the pilot applied left aileron. This maneuver caused the aircraft to stall and roll to the right, impacting the ground in a right-wing-low attitude. The aircraft came to rest in a drainage ditch between runways 1L and 1R, where a post-crash fire occurred. The pilot and five passengers sustained 6 minor injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed by the fire.
The investigation
An analysis of ADS-B data showed the aircraft arrived at the runway threshold at 110 knots, which was 32 knots faster than the short-field landing approach speed specified in the pilot operating handbook.
Post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed that the left wing had separated from the airframe and rested on the right wing. The right aileron was also separated. The propeller showed evidence of high power at the time of impact.
Weather observations at the time of the accident noted a temperature of 88°F, which was 25°F warmer than the July average for the area. This higher temperature would have resulted in a higher density altitude, affecting aircraft and engine performance.