N8255Q

On April 12, 2000, about 1620 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna U206F airplane, N8255Q, sustained substantial damage during landing at a remote airstrip, about 46 miles east of Delta Junction, Alaska, about latitude 64 degrees, 27 minutes north, and longitude 144 degrees, 56 minutes west. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) business flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by Allwest Freight Inc., Sterling, Alaska. The commercial certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Delta Junction Airport, about 1600.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on April 13, 2000, at 1145, the pilot reported he was flying a load of fuel to a remote mining airstrip. The airstrip, oriented north/south, is 1,500 feet long, and 75 feet wide. The pilot said he was landing toward the north with about a 15 knot headwind. He said the south end of the airstrip was covered by mud and water from melting snow, and the north end of the strip was covered by snow. He overflew the area of water, and touched down on the snow. As he touched down, the headwind decreased to zero. He was unable to stop the airplane from going off the end of the airstrip. The airplane received damage to the left main landing gear attach point, the left gear, and about four feet of the outboard end of the left wing.