No fatalities

5 Mar 2020: Cessna 208 B — CSA Air, Inc — Rhinelander, WI

Rhinelander, WI, United States

On 5 Mar 2020, a Cessna 208 B operated by CSA Air, Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Rhinelander, WI. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper decision to continue an instrument approach to landing following a loss of visual reference with the runway, which resulted in the airplane touching down left of the runway in snow and flipping over. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

Pilot reports landing left of runway after relying on runway edge lights during GPS approach; airplane flips over in snow, resulting in substantial damage to wings and tail.

Approach and Landing

During a GPS instrument approach, the pilot reported that upon reaching the decision altitude, he observed the runway end identifier lights and elected to continue the approach. Shortly thereafter, the lights disappeared and then reappeared. Despite the intermittent visibility of the lights, the pilot proceeded with the landing, using the runway edge lights as a reference to maintain alignment with the runway.

Accident Sequence

Upon touchdown, the airplane encountered snow, causing it to dig in and flip over. The ensuing rollover resulted in substantial damage to the wings and tail of the aircraft. The pilot noted that the airplane came to rest approximately 225 feet to the left of the runway centerline.

Pilot Report

The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the aircraft. The accident occurred during daylight conditions, though specific time and weather details are not provided in the report.

Damage Assessment

The substantial damage to the wings and tail indicates a significant impact during the rollover. No information is available regarding injuries or other damage items beyond the reported structural damage.

Contributing factors

Pilot