What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Landed halfway down runway. Tried go around. Settled into swamp. Weather below minimums. Overgross departure en route (-23) on August 3, 1996, at 0830 EDT, a Cessna 404, N8919G, registered to and operated by superior aviation, inc., ford airport, iron mountain, MI 49801, with lyle r. bradford acting as pilot-in-command on a FAR 135 cargo carrying flight, attempted landing on runway 36 at the southwest Michigan regional airport (beh), Benton Harbor, Michigan. After touching down over half way down the 2500 foot runway the aircraft went off the departure end just barely airborne. Approximately 87 feet beyond the departure end of R36 the aircraft clipped the top of some small trees growing out of the face of an abrupt drop off of the terrain. The trees would indicate that the left wingtip was slightly over 3 feet above the ground while the right wingtip was approximately 10 feet above ground level. The aircraft then settled down into a marshy area off the end of the runway with the left wing contacting the ground first causing the aircraft to turn 180 degrees, coming to rest heading south. The marshy area was approximately 40 feet below the runway eleva tion. Mr. Bradford, the only occupant, was landing to unload ups freight that he had on board. IFR meteorological conditions prevailed on the surface with a thin layer of fog. Visibility, as determined by the ASOS facility located on the airport, was measured as 1/4 mile visibility at the time of the accident. The aircraft suffered substantial damage while coming to rest in the marsh. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The flight originated at kalamazoo, Michigan August 3, 1996, at approximately 0810 EDT. The flight was vectored over the airport and the pilot reported seeing the numbers on the approach end of R36. He then canceled IFR and proceeded to conduct the VFR approach to R36.
As the FAA filed it
LANDED HALFWAY DOWN RUNWAY. TRIED GO AROUND.SETTLED INTO SWAMP. WEATHER BELOW MINIMUMS.OVERGROSS DEPARTURE EN ROUTE (-23) ON AUGUST 3, 1996, AT 0830 EDT, A CESSNA 404, N8919G, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY SUPERIOR AVIATION, INC., FORD AIRPORT, IRON MOUNTAIN, MI 49801, WITH LYLE R. BRADFORD ACTING AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND ON A FAR 135 CARGO CARRYING FLIGHT, ATTEMPTED LANDING ON RUNWAY 36 AT THE SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN REGIONAL AIRPORT (BEH), BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN. AFTER TOUCHING DOWN OVER HALF WAY DOWN THE 2500 FOOT RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT WENT OFF THE DEPARTURE END JUST BARELY AIRBORNE. APPROXIMATELY 87 FEET BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF R36 THE AIRCRAFT CLIPPED THE TOP OF SOME SMALL TREES GROWING OUT OF THE FACE OF AN ABRUPT DROP OFF OF THE TERRAIN. THE TREES WOULD INDICATE THAT THE LEFT WINGTIP WAS SLIGHTLY OVER 3 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHILE THE RIGHT WINGTIP WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SETTLED DOWN INTO A MARSHY AREA OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY WITH THE LEFT WING CONTACTING THE GROUND FIRST CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO TURN 180 DEGREES, COMING TO REST HEADING SOUTH. THE MARSHY AREA WAS APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET BELOW THE RUNWAY ELEVA TION. MR. BRADFORD, THE ONLY OCCUPANT, WAS LANDING TO UNLOAD UPS FREIGHT THAT HE HAD ON BOARD. IFR METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED ON THE SURFACE WITH A THIN LAYER OF FOG. VISIBILITY, AS DETERMINED BY THE ASOS FACILITY LOCATED ON THE AIRPORT, WAS MEASURED AS 1/4 MILE VISIBILITY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHILE COMING TO REST IN THE MARSH. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN AUGUST 3, 1996, AT APPROXIMATELY 0810 EDT. THE FLIGHT WAS VECTORED OVER THE AIRPORT AND THE PILOT REPORTED SEEING THE NUMBERS ON THE APPROACH END OF R36. HE THEN CANCELED IFR AND PROCEEDED TO CONDUCT THE VFR APPROACH TO R36.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8919G · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.