20030106000139A

(.19) ON JANUARY 6, 2003, AT 1248 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, AN EMBREAR ERJ-145LR, N16571, OPERATED BY CONTINENTAL EXPRESS AS FLIGHT 2051, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT OVERRAN THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY WHILE LANDING AT CLEVELAND-HOPKINS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CLE), CLEVELAND, OHIO. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE 2 CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOTS, 1 FLIGHT ATTENDANT, AND 47 PASSENGERS. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE SCHEDULED, DOMESTIC FLIGHT THAT LAST DEPARTED FROM BRADLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (BDL), WINDSOR LOCKS, CONNECTICUT. FLIGHT 2051 WAS CONDUCTED ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN UNDER 14 CFR PART 121. ACCORDING TO AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA), THERE WERE NO REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE EN ROUTE OR APPROACH PHASES OF THE FLIGHT. THE ILS RUNWAY 6L APPROACH WAS PERFORMED. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE FLIGHT CREW WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRPLANE ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END, ON EXTENDED RUNWAY CENTERLINE, AND STRUCK THE ILS RUNWAY 6L LOCALIZER ANTENNA. IT CAME TO REST WITH THE NOSE ABOUT 600 FEET BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PASSENGERS EXITED THE AIRPLANE THROUGH THE MAIN CABIN DOOR, AND WERE TAKEN TO THE TERMINAL VIA VEHICLES. THE ILS RUNWAY 6L LOCALIZER ANTENNA WAS LOCATED 510 FEET BEYOND THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE ILS DME ANTENNA WAS CO-LOCATED WITH THE ILS RUNWAY 6L LOCALIZER ANTENNA. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE TAIL OF THE AIRPLANE WAS ABEAM OF THE LOCALIZER ANTENNA. IN ADDITION, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR HAD COLLAPSED REARWARD AND DEFORMED THE FORWARD PRESSURE BULKHEAD. MINOR DAMAGE IN THE FORM OF SCRAPES WERE FOUND ON THE LEADING EDGE OF BOTH WINGS. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER, THE AIR/GROUND SQUAT SWITCH ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR TRANSITIONED FROM AIR TO GROUND WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 0.38 NM FROM THE ILS DME ANTENNA, WITH AN INDICATED AIRSPEED OF ABOUT 150 KNOTS (KIAS). WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 0.13 NM FROM THE ILS DME ANTENNA, THE AIRSPEED WAS ABOUT 100 KIAS. AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SQUAT SWITCH TRANSITIONED TO GROUND, THE SPOILERS DEPLOYED, AND 3 SECONDS LATER, THE THRUST REVERSERS WERE DEPLOYED. AT 1147, A NOTAM WAS ISSUED THAT RUNWAY 6L/24R WAS COVERED WITH THIN WET SNOW. THE RUNWAY HAD BEEN "BROOMED" FULL LENGTH AND WIDTH, AND LIQUID DEICER AND SAND HAD BEEN APPLIED TO A WIDTH OF 100 FEET. "TAPLEY" READINGS AT THE TOUCHDOWN, MIDDLE, AND ROLLOUT ZONES OF THE RUNWAYS MEASURED 60, 60, AND 60. THERE WAS NO RECORD OF ANY FURTHER TREATMENT OR SNOW REMOVAL FROM THE TIME THE RUNWAY WAS OPENED, UNTIL AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE RECORDED WEATHER OBSERVATION AT CLEVELAND, AT 1242, INCLUDED WINDS FROM 330 DEGREES AT 19 KNOTS, WITH GUSTS TO 29 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 1/2 STATUTE MILE, SNOW, BLOWING SNOW, MIST, BROKEN CLOUDS AT 1,100 FEET, OVERCAST CLOUDS AT 1,600 FEET, TEMPERATURE -3 F, DEW POINT -4 F, ALTIMETER 30.07. AT 1251, THE WEATHER OBSERVATION INCLUDED WINDS FROM 330 DEGREES AT 17 KNOTS, GUSTS TO 26 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 1/2 STATUTE MILE, SNOW, BLOWING SNOW, MIST, FEW CLOUDS AT 700 FEET, OVERCAST CLOUDS AT 1,600 FEET, TEMPERATURE -4 F, DEW POINT -4 F, ALTIMETER 30.07. AT 1259, "TAPLEY" READINGS WERE TAKEN ON THE RUNWAY. THE READINGS VARIED BETWEEN 25 AND 30 ON ALL SECTIONS OF THE RUNWAY. ACCORDING TO FAA DATA, RUNWAY 6L WAS 6,800 FEET LONG, 150 FEET WIDE, AND HAD AN ASPHALT SURFACE. THE LANDING THRESHOLD FOR RUNWAY 6L WAS DISPLACED 530 FEET. THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER AND DIGITAL FLIGHT DATA RECORDER HAVE BEEN RETAINED FOR REVIEW. (-23) FAA ACCIDENT 6 JANUARY 2003, CLE N16571 NYC03FA035 DURING AN IFR FLIGHT FROM BDL TO CLE EXPRESS FLIGHT 2051 WAS HELD WHILE ENROUTE AND ARRIVED IN THE CLEVELAND AREA WITH NEAR MINIMUM FAR DISPATCH FUEL REQUIREMENTS, ENOUGH FUEL TO GO TO THE ALTERNATE AND HOLD FOR 45 MINUTES. WEATHER AT CLE WAS IMC WITH STRONG GUSTY CROSSWINDS THAT WERE NEAR THE DEMONSTRATED CROSSWIND COMPONENT FOR THE AIRCRAFT. THE SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW CONTAMINATED THE RUNWAY IN USE. SEVERAL FLIGHT CREWS HAD EXPRESSED CONCERNS WITH THE CONDITIONS OF RUNWAY 6L. ALSO, SEVERAL CREWS REFUSED TO USE RUNWAY 6L AND EITHER ELECTED TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER RUNWAY TO OPEN OR DIVERTED TO ANOTHER AIRPORT. THE LOCAL CONTROLLER STATED SOMETHING LIKE WE ARE WORKING ON CHANGING RUNWAY AND WE ARE AT THE END OF THE ROPES ON THIS RUNWAY. THE RUNWAY HAD BEEN IN USE FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR IN MODERATE SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. DUE TO SNOW REMOVEL, RUNWAY 6L WAS THE ONLY RUNWAY IN USE AT CLE. APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, CITY MAINTENANCE/SNOW CREWS WORKING ON RUNWAY 6R RETURNED TO THE CITY MAINTENANCE FACILITY FOR RELOADING. THE CREW OF FLIGHT 2051 ELECTED TO MAKE THE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 6L WITH FLAPS 22 INSTEAD OF FULLFLAPS AND DID NOT RECALCULATE LANDING DISTANCE WITH A PARTIAL FLAP CONFIGURATION. RVR FOR RUNWAY 6L WAS VARIABLE AND WAS BETWEEN 4,000 AND 4,500 RVR FOR SEVERAL MINUTES PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT CROSSING THE FAF INBOUND. THE APPROACH PLATE REQUIRED AN RVR VALUE OF AT LEAST 4,000, BUT AN FDC NOTAM HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR AN RVR VALUE OF 5,000. ON SHORT FINAL, THE LOCAL CONTROLLER REPORTED GUSTS AT 34 KNOTS. THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT MANUAL STATED THE MAXIMUM DEMONSTRATED CROSSWIND COMPONENT OF 30 KNOTS. ACCORDING TO THE FDR, THE AIRCRAFT APPROACH WAS ABOVE VREF AND LANDED LONG, .38 MILES FROM THE LOCALIZER ANTENNA, APPROXIMATELY 1,700 FEET LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY AT 100 KNOTS AND STRUCK THE LOCALIZER ANTENNA AT APPROXIMATELY 50 TO 60 KNOTS.^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE CMO FOR CONTINENTAL EXPRESS IS RESOLVING ISSUES CONCERNING THE OPERATOR.