What happened
During the final approach phase of the flight toward Cape Schmidt, the pilot inadvertently reduced the engines to idle power. This loss of thrust resulted in a rapid decrease in altitude, leading the aircraft type to strike the terrain approximately 15 meters before the runway threshold.
Following the initial impact, the aircraft bounced and traveled an additional 20 meters. During this sequence, the right main landing gear was lost. The aircraft eventually came to a complete stop 225 meters beyond the initial impact point.
There were 10 people on board during the incident, and all 10 occupants managed to exit the aircraft without any injuries. While the passengers and crew were unharmed, the aircraft sustained damage that rendered it a total loss. Documentation from May 2013 confirmed that the wreckage remained at the site located at coordinates 68.87953 N, 179.37426 W.
Findings
- The primary factor in the loss of altitude was the pilot's error in setting the engines to idle during the approach.