On August 25, 1980, a Beechcraft 90 King Air (registration N908CM) operated by Crowley Maritime Corporation was involved in an aviation accident near Kotzebue-Ralph Wien Memorial, United States of America during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Controlled collision with water during initial approach due to improper IFR operation. Contributing factors: the pilot misjudged altitude and clearance, the aircraft came to rest in water, the pilot descended below minimum IFR altitude to VFR conditions (400… This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A twin-engine airplane struck the water short of the runway during final approach to Kotzebue-Ralph Wien Memorial Airport in good weather. All six occupants were rescued.
Incident Overview
On final approach to Kotzebue-Ralph Wien Memorial Airport under good weather conditions, the pilot of a twin-engine airplane failed to recognize that the aircraft was too low. The airplane subsequently struck the water surface and crashed short of the runway threshold.
Rescue and Occupants
All six occupants of the aircraft were rescued following the crash.
Official Findings
The probable cause of the accident was determined to be a controlled collision with water during initial approach due to improper IFR operation. Contributing factors identified in the investigation included the pilot's misjudgment of altitude and clearance, the aircraft coming to rest in water, and the pilot descending below the minimum IFR altitude into VFR conditions with 400-foot ceiling over the water approach, while keeping the landing area in sight.