19971121034199A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Beech B-60 · Athens, GA · November 21, 1997

Date
November 21, 1997 · 13:22 local
Place
Athens, GA
Airport
Athens/Ben Epps Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N202RS
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL98LA011
Reported as
Beech B60
Fatal injuries
0

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.

(.19) On November 21, 1997, about 1322 eastern standard time, a Beech 60, N202RS, overran the departure end of runway 27 and skidded down an embankment collapsing the nose gear at Athens/Ben Epps Airport in Athens, Georgia. The airplane was operated under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 and instrument flight rules. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed. The instrument rated private pilot was not injured, and the pilot rated passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The flight originated from witham field in stuart, Florida with an instrument flight plan at 1030. According to the pilot, as he approached Athens, the controller indicated to him that the ceiling was 600 feet and the visibility was 3 miles. He decided to proceed on the ILS 27 approach. At the minimum descent altitude (mda), 200 feet, the pilot stated he saw the airport and touched down. The pilot stated when he applied the brakes "nothing happened". He believed they were hydroplaning. The pilot did not believe he had runway left to execute the go-around, so he attempted to stop in the remaining runway. The airplane continued off the departure end of runway 27 and sk idded down an embankment collapsing the nose gear in soft terrain. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane. According to the air traffic controllers involved, they issued the clearance to land after giving the pilot the weather. They stated the ceiling was 200 feet overcast, and the visibility was 1/4 of a mile. The pilot continued the approach. Both controllers stated the airplane broke out of the clouds at approximately the midpoint of the runway. It then made a "quick descent" in an attempt to land. They stated the airplane touched down at approximately the 1500 foot remaining point of the 5522 foot runway. After it touched down, the controllers were unable to see the airplane, due to the poor visibility. The weather at Athens airport was 200 feet overcast and 1/4 mile visibility with drizzle and fog. The ILS approach minimums for runway 27 was 200 feet and 3/4 mile visibility. (-23) on 11/21/97, at approximately 1250 LCL, robert a. morrison sr., a private pilot with instrument privileges was making an ILS approach to runway 27, when he descended below minimums. Weather at the time was 200 1/4 as reported by the Athens (ahn) tower and macon fss. The minimums for ahn ILS runway 27 is 200 3/4. As witnessed by the Athens tower controllers, the aircraft broke out at midfield and dove for the runway. The aircraft touched down on the remaining 1500 feet of a 5500 foot runway. The runway was wet and the pilot claimed to hydroplane. The aircraft departed the end of runway 27 and sustained substantial damage. Upon inspection of the aircraft, no mechanical problems exits.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON NOVEMBER 21, 1997, ABOUT 1322 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A BEECH 60, N202RS, OVERRAN THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 27 AND SKIDDED DOWN AN EMBANKMENT COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR AT ATHENS/BEN EPPS AIRPORT IN ATHENS, GEORGIA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 AND INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, AND THE PILOT RATED PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM WITHAM FIELD IN STUART, FLORIDA WITH AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN AT 1030. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AS HE APPROACHED ATHENS, THE CONTROLLER INDICATED TO HIM THAT THE CEILING WAS 600 FEET AND THE VISIBILITY WAS 3 MILES. HE DECIDED TO PROCEED ON THE ILS 27 APPROACH. AT THE MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE (MDA), 200 FEET, THE PILOT STATED HE SAW THE AIRPORT AND TOUCHED DOWN. THE PILOT STATED WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES "NOTHING HAPPENED". HE BELIEVED THEY WERE HYDROPLANING. THE PILOT DID NOT BELIEVE HE HAD RUNWAY LEFT TO EXECUTE THE GO-AROUND, SO HE ATTEMPTED TO STOP IN THE REMAINING RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 27 AND SK IDDED DOWN AN EMBANKMENT COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR IN SOFT TERRAIN. THE PILOT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE. ACCORDING TO THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS INVOLVED, THEY ISSUED THE CLEARANCE TO LAND AFTER GIVING THE PILOT THE WEATHER. THEY STATED THE CEILING WAS 200 FEET OVERCAST, AND THE VISIBILITY WAS 1/4 OF A MILE. THE PILOT CONTINUED THE APPROACH. BOTH CONTROLLERS STATED THE AIRPLANE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT APPROXIMATELY THE MIDPOINT OF THE RUNWAY. IT THEN MADE A "QUICK DESCENT" IN AN ATTEMPT TO LAND. THEY STATED THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY THE 1500 FOOT REMAINING POINT OF THE 5522 FOOT RUNWAY. AFTER IT TOUCHED DOWN, THE CONTROLLERS WERE UNABLE TO SEE THE AIRPLANE, DUE TO THE POOR VISIBILITY. THE WEATHER AT ATHENS AIRPORT WAS 200 FEET OVERCAST AND 1/4 MILE VISIBILITY WITH DRIZZLE AND FOG. THE ILS APPROACH MINIMUMS FOR RUNWAY 27 WAS 200 FEET AND 3/4 MILE VISIBILITY. (-23) ON 11/21/97, AT APPROXIMATELY 1250 LCL, ROBERT A. MORRISON SR., A PRIVATE PILOT WITH INSTRUMENT PRIVILEGES WAS MAKING AN ILS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 27, WHEN HE DESCENDED BELOW MINIMUMS. WEATHER AT THE TIME WAS 200 1/4 AS REPORTED BY THE ATHENS (AHN) TOWER AND MACON FSS. THE MINIMUMS FOR AHN ILS RUNWAY 27 IS 200 3/4. AS WITNESSED BY THE ATHENS TOWER CONTROLLERS, THE AIRCRAFT BROKE OUT AT MIDFIELD AND DOVE FOR THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE REMAINING 1500 FEET OF A 5500 FOOT RUNWAY. THE RUNWAY WAS WET AND THE PILOT CLAIMED TO HYDROPLANE. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE END OF RUNWAY 27 AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. UPON INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT, NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS EXITS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.