What happened
During a night approach at an airport transitioning from Air Force to North Slope Borough control, an aircraft was observed performing a circling maneuver to land following the completion of an NDB approach. At the time of the incident, meteorological conditions were poor, characterized by a ceiling of 800 feet, visibility of only 1 mile due to blowing snow, and winds reaching 26 knots. The surrounding landscape was described as flat, featureless, and covered in snow.
A witness observed the aircraft on its final approach, noting that it was misaligned with the runway. The aircraft then disappeared below the level of an 18-foot bluff. After the witness attempted to radio the pilot to warn them of the terrain, there was no immediate response. Approximately 10 minutes later, the pilot approached the witness's aircraft on foot. The pilot later reported to investigators that the heavy snow and strong winds had caused significant difficulty, and that while they were focused on the runway lights, the aircraft impacted the ground short of the runway.
Findings
- The pilot's previous experience at this specific airport had only occurred during daylight hours and under visual meteorological conditions.
- The airport was equipped with medium intensity runway lights (MIRL) and runway end identifier lights (REILS), but lacked a visual approach slope indicator (VASI).
- Strong winds and heavy snowfall contributed to the aircraft's misalignment and subsequent impact.