What happened
During a scientific mission conducted for the University of Washington, an aircraft was performing a landing approximately 35 miles east of North Ice Camp. During the touchdown sequence, one of the landing gear wheels penetrated the surface of the ice.
Following the structural failure of the ice beneath the wheel, the aircraft came to a complete stop. The crew subsequently evacuated the plane, and the vessel was abandoned at the site. There were no injuries reported among the occupants following the incident.
Findings
- The primary factor in the accident was the failure of the ice surface to support the weight of the landing gear during the arrival phase.