Accident Cessna 208 Caravan I N9316F,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 324041

Date:	Friday 30 January 1998
Time:	17:00
Type:	Cessna 208 Caravan I
Owner/operator:	PenAir - Peninsula Airways
Registration:	N9316F
MSN:	20800011
Year of manufacture:	1985
Total airframe hrs:	13478 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	ca 1,6 km SW of Port Heiden Airport, AK (PTH) - United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	Port Heiden Airport, AK (PTH/PAPH)
Destination airport:	Chignik Airport, AK (PAJC)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The airplane encountered freezing rain about 5 miles south of the Port Heiden Airport (PTH) while in cruise at 1200 feet msl, and rapidly accumulated ice on the airframe, wings, and windshield. The pilot said he initially changed altitude in an attempt to exit the icing conditions. Ice accumulation continued, so he elected to return to Port Heiden. While maneuvering to land at the airport, the airplane was unable to maintain altitude while at full engine power. The pilot related that any angle of bank resulted in the onset of prestall buffet. He stated that he decided to land on a frozen lake south of the airport. He said that the airplane did not reach the lake, "mushed into the ground," and that when he attempted to flare to land, the left wing stalled.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot's inadequate in-flight decision resulting in airframe ice accumulation to the extent that degraded aircraft performance and insufficient airspeed occurred followed by a stall. Contributing factors were freezing rain and icing conditions. "

Accident investigation: