Cessna 310 N1776G

Summary

On 18 January 1993 at about 12:50 local time, a Cessna 310 registered N1776G, operated by Olson Air Service, Inc, was involved in an accident near Teller, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 January 1993 at 12:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Teller, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

65.2493, -166.3592

Aircraft

Cessna 310

Registration

N1776G

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Olson Air Service, Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Nome → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ANC93FA027

1 person died.

THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE TERRAIN AVOIDANCE ALTITUDE. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE DARK NIGHT AND FEATURELESS SNOW COVERED TERRAIN, BOTH WHICH CREATED A 'FEATURELESS TERRAIN ILLUSION' WHICH PROBABLY LED THE PILOT TO VISUALLY OVERESTIMATE HIS ALTITUDE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH NEARLY LEVEL TERRAIN ABOUT 3 MI SE OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. THE TERRAIN WAS SNOW COVERED, FEATURELESS, UNILLUMINATED, AND THE NIGHT SKY WAS VERY DARK. THE AIRPORT IS NOT SERVED BY ANY NAVIGATION AIDS. NAVIGATION IN THE AREA IS DONE BY 'PILOTAGE.' WITNESS REPORTS INDICATED THE VISIBILITY OF GROUND REFERENCE OBJECTS WAS NOT POSSIBLE DUE TO THE TOTAL DARKNESS AND LACK OF CONTRAST WITH COMPLETE SNOW COVERED TERRAIN. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF CIVIL TWILIGHT. NO RECORD OF PRE-DAWN COMPANY FLIGHTS BY THE PILOT DURING THE PAST 90 DAYS WERE FOUND. CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY PROVIDES A WARNING 'FEATURELESS TERRAIN ILLUSION, AN ABSENCE OF GROUND FEATURES, AS WHEN LANDING OVER WATER, DARKENED AREAS AND TERRAIN MADE 'FEATURELESS BY SNOW' CAN CREATE THE ILLUSION THAT THE AIRPLANE IS AT A HIGHER ALTITUDE THAN IT ACTUALLY IS. THE PILOT WHO DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THIS ILLUSION WILL TEND TO FLY A LOWER APPROACH.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.