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An atx small aircraft pilot landed on a glacier while giving a scenic tour. He came upon 'white out' conditions.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 244381 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199306 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : jnu |
| State Reference | AK |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5800 msl bound upper : 5800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other landing other other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 1000 flight time type : 90 |
| ASRS Report | 244381 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : vfr in imc other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
In sum: the reporting pilot was in 1 of 8 aircraft on a sightseeing tour of a glacier near juneau, ak. The reporter was following another aircraft and company policy, flying back and forth across the glacier while climbing to go through a mountain pass ahead. Even though the reporter could see through the pass ahead, he came into a 'white out' condition with snow and fog. He turned the aircraft down the mountain hoping to fly out of the white out. As conditions got worse, the pilot landed on the glacier with gear and flaps down. The gear was ripped off, the propeller bent, and other damage sustained. One of the 5 women passenger got a black eye by hitting her head on the seat back in front of her and another complained of fast heart beat. 2 helicopters came to rescue the pilot and passenger. The coast guard refused to help because of the WX conditions.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ATX SMA PLT LANDED ON A GLACIER WHILE GIVING A SCENIC TOUR. HE CAME UPON 'WHITE OUT' CONDITIONS.
Narrative: IN SUM: THE RPTING PLT WAS IN 1 OF 8 ACFT ON A SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF A GLACIER NEAR JUNEAU, AK. THE RPTR WAS FOLLOWING ANOTHER ACFT AND COMPANY POLICY, FLYING BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE GLACIER WHILE CLBING TO GO THROUGH A MOUNTAIN PASS AHEAD. EVEN THOUGH THE RPTR COULD SEE THROUGH THE PASS AHEAD, HE CAME INTO A 'WHITE OUT' CONDITION WITH SNOW AND FOG. HE TURNED THE ACFT DOWN THE MOUNTAIN HOPING TO FLY OUT OF THE WHITE OUT. AS CONDITIONS GOT WORSE, THE PLT LANDED ON THE GLACIER WITH GEAR AND FLAPS DOWN. THE GEAR WAS RIPPED OFF, THE PROP BENT, AND OTHER DAMAGE SUSTAINED. ONE OF THE 5 WOMEN PAX GOT A BLACK EYE BY HITTING HER HEAD ON THE SEAT BACK IN FRONT OF HER AND ANOTHER COMPLAINED OF FAST HEART BEAT. 2 HELIS CAME TO RESCUE THE PLT AND PAX. THE COAST GUARD REFUSED TO HELP BECAUSE OF THE WX CONDITIONS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.