20030217007779I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 560XL · Washington, DC · February 17, 2003

Date: February 17, 2003 · 19:55 local
Place: Washington, DC
Airport: Dulles International
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: DXTA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N696QS
Reported as: Cessna 560XL
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,000 total1,200 in this make and model180 in the last 90 days

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.

(-23) Reported snow depth was 1 inch of packed. Previous aircraft reported extremely poor conditions, and had problems being pulled to the left. Maintenance jeep at site found actual snow depth to be 3 to 5 inches, variable, in drifts. N696QS touched down and was pulled to the left by uneven braking conditions. Was able to straighten aircraft momentarily, but when speed got below that allowing rudder effectiveness, nose wheel steering would not correct the left pull due to snow. Winds were reported 350 at 11 knots gust to 20 knots. Snow was drifting rapidly in those conditions.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) REPORTED SNOW DEPTH WAS 1 INCH OF PACKED. PREVIOUS AIRCRAFT REPORTED EXTREMELY POOR CONDITIONS, AND HAD PROBLEMS BEING PULLED TO THE LEFT. MAINTENANCE JEEP AT SITE FOUND ACTUAL SNOW DEPTH TO BE 3 TO 5 INCHES, VARIABLE, IN DRIFTS. N696QS TOUCHED DOWN AND WAS PULLED TO THE LEFT BY UNEVEN BRAKING CONDITIONS. WAS ABLE TO STRAIGHTEN AIRCRAFT MOMENTARILY, BUT WHEN SPEED GOT BELOW THAT ALLOWING RUDDER EFFECTIVENESS, NOSE WHEEL STEERING WOULD NOT CORRECT THE LEFT PULL DUE TO SNOW. WINDS WERE REPORTED 350 AT 11 KNOTS GUST TO 20 KNOTS. SNOW WAS DRIFTING RAPIDLY IN THOSE CONDITIONS.