What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At 1310 local time on March 14, 1998, a delta airlines, MD-88, N997DL was completing a routine passenger flight (flt #2158) from cincinnati, oh (cvg) to Portland, Maine (pwm). The flight was cleared to land on runway 11 at pwm. The weather was deteriorating with poor visibility (speci kpwm 141751Z 16018G25KT 1/4SM sn fg OVC007 00/M01 A3003 rmk A02 SLP170 P0000 80800 T00001006 10017 20000 56025). The aircraft touch down on the snow an slush covered runway, but was unable to adequately decelerate before the end of the runway. The aircraft went off the departure end approximately 15 feet to the left of the center line. The right wing leading edge slats contacted the end of the localizer antenna. The aircraft continued down a slight incline where the nose gear rolled into a gully. The aircraft finally stopped approximately 600 feet beyond the runway. Investigation of this incident has revealed the following: the weather conditions were varying rapidly durin the time of this incident. Periods of heavy wet snow and strong gusty winds were moving through the area. The runway had not been plowed prior to this incident. However, three aircraft had landed prior to delta 2158 & all reported braking action of fair to good. The operations manager for the Portland International Jetport inspected the runway within minutes after the incident and reported the runway was covered with 3/8 inch wet snow. Mu readings were taken at this time, with the average reading for the runway 0.39. The captain of flight 2158 stated that the flight was normal until shortly after touchdown when the aircraft began drifting toward the left of centerline. He reduced reverse thrust to 1.3 epr, and regained directional control. Once directional control was recovered he increased reverse thrust to 1.6 epr. The captain furthur stated that he applied maximum braking, when he realized braking action was nil, applied and held maximum reverse epr available. The flight data recorder was analyzed and confirmed the captains statement. Investigation by this inspector into a number of similar type incidents with MD-80 series aircraft has indicated that inadequat guidance is available to flight crews operating on contaminated runways combined with strong gusty cross winds. privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
AT 1310 LOCAL TIME ON MARCH 14, 1998, A DELTA AIRLINES, MD-88, N997DL WAS COMPLETING A ROUTINE PASSENGER FLIGHT (FLT #2158) FROM CINCINNATI, OH (CVG) TO PORTLAND, MAINE (PWM). THE FLIGHT WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 11 AT PWM. THE WEATHER WAS DETERIORATING WITH POOR VISIBILITY (SPECI KPWM 141751Z 16018G25KT 1/4SM SN FG OVC007 00/M01 A3003 RMK A02 SLP170 P0000 80800 T00001006 10017 20000 56025). THE AIRCRAFT TOUCH DOWN ON THE SNOW AN SLUSH COVERED RUNWAY, BUT WAS UNABLE TO ADEQUATELY DECELERATE BEFORE THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WENT OFF THE DEPARTURE END APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET TO THE LEFT OF THE CENTER LINE. THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE SLATS CONTACTED THE END OF THE LOCALIZER ANTENNA. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED DOWN A SLIGHT INCLINE WHERE THE NOSE GEAR ROLLED INTO A GULLY. THE AIRCRAFT FINALLY STOPPED APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET BEYOND THE RUNWAY. INVESTIGATION OF THIS INCIDENT HAS REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE VARYING RAPIDLY DURIN THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. PERIODS OF HEAVY WET SNOW AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS WERE MOVING THROUGH THE AREA. THE RUNWAY HAD NOT BEEN PLOWED PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. HOWEVER, THREE AIRCRAFT HAD LANDED PRIOR TO DELTA 2158 & ALL REPORTED BRAKING ACTION OF FAIR TO GOOD. THE OPERATIONS MANAGER FOR THE PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL JETPORT INSPECTED THE RUNWAY WITHIN MINUTES AFTER THE INCIDENT AND REPORTED THE RUNWAY WAS COVERED WITH 3/8 INCH WET SNOW. MU READINGS WERE TAKEN AT THIS TIME, WITH THE AVERAGE READING FOR THE RUNWAY 0.39. THE CAPTAIN OF FLIGHT 2158 STATED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS NORMAL UNTIL SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN WHEN THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN DRIFTING TOWARD THE LEFT OF CENTERLINE. HE REDUCED REVERSE THRUST TO 1.3 EPR, AND REGAINED DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. ONCE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS RECOVERED HE INCREASED REVERSE THRUST TO 1.6 EPR. THE CAPTAIN FURTHUR STATED THAT HE APPLIED MAXIMUM BRAKING, WHEN HE REALIZED BRAKING ACTION WAS NIL, APPLIED AND HELD MAXIMUM REVERSE EPR AVAILABLE. THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER WAS ANALYZED AND CONFIRMED THE CAPTAINS STATEMENT. INVESTIGATION BY THIS INSPECTOR INTO A NUMBER OF SIMILAR TYPE INCIDENTS WITH MD-80 SERIES AIRCRAFT HAS INDICATED THAT INADEQUAT GUIDANCE IS AVAILABLE TO FLIGHT CREWS OPERATING ON CONTAMINATED RUNWAYS COMBINED WITH STRONG GUSTY CROSS WINDS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^