Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary SEA05CA029

Everett, WA, USA

Aircraft #1

N7858B

Beech 58TC

Analysis

The pilot landed on runway 34R (3,000 feet) by flying the Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) to the runway and flaring to land. The pilot said that when he first applied brakes, the airplane swerved left. He corrected with rudder and brake, and again applied brakes evenly. He said that he realized that he was not going to stop in time, so he applied more brake pressure until the wheels locked-up. The airplane departed the end of the runway, and down a grassy incline and through a fence. The airplane came to rest with the landing gear folded up and the nose portion of the fuselage was compressed aft. The pilot estimated the gross weight of his airplane at 5,200 pounds at the time of the accident. He said that the flaps were at 30 degrees, and that he touched down at 1,000 feet down the runway. He calculated that his stopping distance should have been 1,650 feet, according to the manufacturer's Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH). The airport manager said that the PAPI was installed at 400 feet from the approach end of the runway. He further stated that a witness had told him that the airplane did not touchdown until midfield. The Investigator-In-Charge calculated the stopping distance, using 30 degrees of flaps, a temperature of 7 degrees Celsius, a pressure altitude of 89 feet, and a gross weight of approximately 5,200 pounds, to be 1,300 feet.

Factual Information

On December 22, 2004, at approximately 1430 Pacific standard time, a Beech 58TC, N7858B, was substantially damaged when it overran the runway and went through a fence during a landing attempt at Paine Field, Everett, Washington. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The airplane was being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country personal flight that originated from Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington, approximately 30 minutes before the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan. The pilot said that tower (Air Traffic Control) cleared him to land on runway 34 right (3,000 x 75 feet). He said that he flew the Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) to the runway and flared to land. The pilot said that when he first applied brakes, the airplane swerved left. He corrected with rudder and brake, and again applied brakes evenly. He said that he realized that he was not going to stop in time, so he applied more brake pressure until the wheels locked-up. The airplane departed the end of the runway, and down a grassy incline and through a fence. The airplane came to rest with the landing gear folded up and the nose portion of the fuselage was compressed aft. The pilot estimated the gross weight of his airplane at 5,200 pounds at the time of the accident. He said that the flaps were at 30 degrees, and that he touched down at 1,000 feet down the runway. He calculated that his stopping distance should have been 1,650 feet, according to the manufacturer's Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH). The airport manager said that the PAPI was installed at 400 feet from the approach end of the runway. He further stated that a witness had told him that the airplane did not touchdown, for its full-stop landing, until midfield. The Investigator-In-Charge calculated the stopping distance, using 30 degrees of flaps, a temperature of 7 degrees Celsius, a pressure altitude of 89 feet, a no-wind weather condition, and a gross weight of approximately 5,200 pounds, to be 1,300 feet.

Probable Cause and Findings

The pilot's misjudgment of distance/speed on landing touchdown and rollout, and his subsequent excessive braking. A factor was the fence.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

Get all the details on your iPhone or iPad with:

Aviation Accidents App

In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports