Cessna 560XL N590AK accident near Port Heiden, Alaska

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.

NTSB analysis

The flightcrew was landing a twin-engine turbofan airplane on Runway 23, a 5,000-foot long, by 100-foot wide, gravel runway, which required a correction for right crosswind. The captain said that during touchdown he inadvertently applied a small amount of left rudder pedal input to correct for a right crosswind as the nose wheel touched down. 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 the time of the accident, winds were reported to be 320 degrees, at 12 knots. The captain noted that the accident might have been prevented if the airplane had a nose wheel disconnect option.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ANC08LA059 for the full record.