Beechcraft 65-A80 N50NP

Summary

On 4 February 1985 at about 23:51 local time, a Beechcraft 65-A80 registered N50NP, operated by North Pacific Airlines, was involved in an accident near Soldotna, Alaska, United States. 9 people were on board and 9 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

4 February 1985 at 23:51

Classification

Accident

Location

Soldotna, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Soldotna (SXQ)

Coordinates

60.3206, -150.7907

Aircraft

Beechcraft 65-A80

Registration

N50NP

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

North Pacific Airlines

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Anchorage → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DCA85AA012

9 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING ARRIVAL, THE CREW OF NPA FLT 1802 CONTACTED THE COMPANY WX OBSERVER AT SOLDOTNA WHO ADVISED THE WX WAS: WND CALM,CEILING 600 TO 800 FT, VIS 8 TO 10 MI, NO PRECIP. THEY MADE AN NDB APCH, BUT MISSED THE APCH & REQUESTED ANOTHER APCH. APRX 1 MIN LATER, THE CREW REPORTED THE ACFT HAD ACCUMULATED A HVY LOAD OF ICE. THEY COULD HAVE DIVERTED NEARBY TO KENAIFOR AN ILS APCH, BUT ELECTED TO MAKE A VOR APCH BACK TO SOLDOTNA. WHILE BEING VECTORED, THEY MADE 2 MORE CHECKS WITH THEWX OBSERVER WHO ADVISED THE WX HAD DETERIORATED TO BELOW MINS & RECOMMENDED DIVERTING, BUT THE CREW DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE.SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES ON HI TERRAIN APRX 1.5 MI SE OF THE ARPT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE ACFT WAS CIRCLING WHEN IT CRASHED. CIRCLING WAS NOT AUTHORIZED SOUTH OF RWY 7/25. INV REVEALED RECURRING PRBLMS WITH THE ANTI-ICESYS, ITS 'SINGLE' MODE WAS INOP, 2 DE-ICE BOOTS WERE MISSING FM PROP BLADES. WX STATION LISTED ONLY 1 LGTD MARKER (1/4 MI AWAY) FOR VIS REF; MIN LNDG VIS WAS 1 MI; CEILOMETER WAS INOP. NO FAA INSPN OF WX STATION IN 2 YRS. ICG FORCASTED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.