Bering Air plane that crashed in Alaska was overweight before it took off, new NTSB report says
The Cessna Grand Caravan operated by Bering Air as flight 445 crashed about 34 miles southeast of Nome, Alaska, on February 6. It was initially reported missing but was found the next day on ice floating in Alaska's Norton Sound.
The icepack, which was subject to the tidal ocean currents, continuously moved about 5 to 10 miles per day, which complicated search and rescue efforts, the report notes.
The NTSB found the airplane's estimated gross takeoff weight at departure was about 9,865 pounds, which was about 1,058 pounds over the maximum for flights into icing conditions, and more than 800 pounds over the limit for better weather.
There was light snow and traces of ice reported around the time of the crash and the temperature was about 12 degrees.
An examination of the wreckage outlined in the report found the plane was broken apart on impact, but there were signs of icing on the top of the tail.
A senior aerospace engineer will conduct a detailed review of the airplane's performance as part of the investigation, including an evaluation of the airplane's center of gravity, according to the NTSB.
The NTSB also compiled data about the plane's flight path, communications between the pilot and Anchorage Air Traffic Control and data downloaded from the onboard avionics.
This preliminary report does not identify a probable cause of the crash, which usually takes the NTSB a year or longer to determine.
The small commuter aircraft, which took off from Unalakleet, was carrying nine passengers and one pilot when it crashed. The tragedy shook the city of Nome, a community accustomed to travel by small plane across Alaska's vast landscapes.
The crash came just a week after an American Airlines plane and a Black Hawk Helicopter collided in Washington, DC, killing 67 people. That collision, along with the Alaska crash, are two of the deadliest plane disasters of the last decade in the US.
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