19960320008309I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Lear 25D · Portland, TN · March 20, 1996

Date: March 20, 1996 · 11:00 local
Place: Portland, TN
Airport: Portland Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N321GL
Reported as: Lear 25D
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,300 total6,050 in this make and model

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: N321GL executed an instrument approach to rw 19 at Portland, TN, (1M5) and completed a low approach to evaluate the runway conditions prior to landing. There was no one at the airport to issue a field conditions report on UNICOM. The visual evaluation indicated that the approach end of the runway was clear, as was a patch 1/2 down the 5000 foot runway on the west side. When N321GL landed, what appeared to be a light dusting of snow was discovered to be 3 inches to 4 inches of slushy snow. As speed decreased the aircraft hydroplaned and weatherveined leaving the right side of RW19 at the 3000 foot point, and came to rest 90 degrees to the right of the runway heading, 50 feet to the right of the runway surface, and straddling a snow filled ditch. The nose gear collapsed, and the left main gear fairing was damaged. Mud was splattered over the left wing and on the left engine cowl and intake area. There did not appear to be any other significant damage to structures or skin.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: N321GL EXECUTED AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO RW 19 AT PORTLAND, TN, (1M5) AND COMPLETED A LOW APPROACH TO EVALUATE THE RUNWAY CONDITIONS PRIOR TO LANDING. THERE WAS NO ONE AT THE AIRPORT TO ISSUE A FIELD CONDITIONS REPORT ON UNICOM. THE VISUAL EVALUATION INDICATED THAT THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY WAS CLEAR, AS WAS A PATCH 1/2 DOWN THE 5000 FOOT RUNWAY ON THE WEST SIDE. WHEN N321GL LANDED, WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LIGHT DUSTING OF SNOW WAS DISCOVERED TO BE 3 INCHES TO 4 INCHES OF SLUSHY SNOW. AS SPEED DECREASED THE AIRCRAFT HYDROPLANED AND WEATHERVEINED LEAVING THE RIGHT SIDE OF RW19 AT THE 3000 FOOT POINT, AND CAME TO REST 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY HEADING, 50 FEET TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY SURFACE, AND STRADDLING A SNOW FILLED DITCH. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE LEFT MAIN GEAR FAIRING WAS DAMAGED. MUD WAS SPLATTERED OVER THE LEFT WING AND ON THE LEFT ENGINE COWL AND INTAKE AREA. THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY OTHER SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES OR SKIN.