Accident Overview
A witness reported seeing an airplane circle to land at the completion of a non-directional beacon (NDB) approach at an airport in northern Alaska. The nighttime meteorological conditions were an 800-foot ceiling, 1 statute mile visibility in blowing snow, and 26-knot winds. The surrounding terrain was essentially flat, snow-covered, and featureless. The witness observed the airplane on final approach misaligned for the runway, and then it disappeared below an 18-feet mean sea level (msl) bluff.
Witness and Pilot Accounts
The witness transmitted on the radio, urging the pilot to 'get out of there,' but heard no response. About 10 minutes later, the accident pilot walked up to the witness' airplane. The pilot told the investigator-in-charge that he was 'beat around by the winds, ...it was snowing pretty hard, I always had the lights, and I was concentrating on the runway. The next thing I knew I was on the ground short of the runway.' The pilot's previous experience at this airport was during daytime and in visual meteorological conditions.
Airport Information
The airport, which was being transferred from the Air Force to the North Slope Borough, is equipped with medium intensity runway lights (MIRL) and runway end identifier lights (REILS). It does not have a visual approach slope indicator (VASI) system.
Probable Cause and Factors
The official probable cause of the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain a proper glidepath. Factors associated with the accident were the airport not having a VASI system installed and the lack of visual perception for the pilot.