NTSB Factual Report

On April 30, 2008, about 0945 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna Citation 560XL airplane, N590AK, sustained substantial damage while landing at the Port Heiden Airport, Port Heiden, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by AT&T Alascom, Anchorage, Alaska, as an instrument flight rules (IFR) corporate flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Of the six people aboard, there were no injuries to the two airline transport certificated pilots, or the four passengers. The flight originated at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Anchorage, Alaska, about 0820, and an instrument flight plan had been filed.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on April 30, the captain noted that the purpose of the flight was to transport a crew of telecommunications technicians to Port Heiden. He stated that his approach to runway 23 required a correction for a right crosswind, and that the initial touchdown on the 5,000-foot long by 100-foot wide gravel runway was uneventful. He said that as he lowered the nose of the airplane he continued to apply a small amount of left rudder pedal input to correct for the crosswind as the nose wheel touched down. As soon as the nose wheel touched the runway, the airplane veered sharply to the left, and went off the left side of the runway. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage.

The captain reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

At 0936, an automated weather observing system (AWOS) at Port Heiden was reporting, in part: Wind, 320 degrees at 12 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; clouds and sky condition, 600 feet few; temperature, 30 degrees F; dew point, 28 degrees F; altimeter, 29.94 inHg.

The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) was removed from the airplane and sent to the NTSB vehicle recorder laboratory in Washington, DC. A Safety Board aerospace engineer reviewed the recorded data, and determined that the audio did not offer any additional information that had not already been obtained from the flightcrew. No CVR listening group was convened, and no CVR transcript was prepared. A summary of key events of the accident flight is included in the public docket for this accident.

The accident airplane was equipped with a nose wheel-mounted gravel kit. In the recommendation part of his written report, the captain noted that the accident might have been prevented if the Citation XL was outfitted with a nose wheel disconnect option, similar to that on a Citation V. The captain stated, in part: "Without a nose wheel disconnect, slight rudder/aileron deflection moves the nose wheel slightly, as happens when landing with a crosswind. Even small nose wheel deflection is magnified when landing on gravel, causing uncommanded sharp turning forces."

The Safety Board released the CVR to the owner on November 18, 2008. No parts or components of the airplane were retained by the Safety Board.

NTSB Probable Cause

The flying pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while landing in a crosswind. A factor contributing to the accident was a crosswind.