What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The aircraft returned to the Newport News, Virginia, airport (phf) from a target tow mission for the military and initiated an approach to land on rwy 7. The captain reported that just before touchdown the crew felt a jert or tug to the aircraft, but the aircraft landed normally and the crew taxied to the ramp. Upon post flight inspection the captain found about 50 feet of tow-cable trailing behind the aircraft. The crew helped airport police inspect the approach end of the runway and found the target had crashed into an airport border-fence gate at the approach end to rwy 7 and damaged a runway approach light. The approach to rwy 7 crosses nearby jefferson avenue, a main highway carrying heavy rush-hour traffic at the time of the incident. Further investigation shows that the PIC failed to properly follow procedures to jettison a tow-target, did not determine that the cable cutting squib had failed (first of two available), incorrectly determined that the target had been jettisoned, and landed with the target in tow about 50 feet behind the aircraft in violation of the airplane flight manual. See attached additional information.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO THE NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, AIRPORT (PHF) FROM A TARGET TOW MISSION FOR THE MILITARY AND INITIATED AN APPROACH TO LAND ON RWY 7. THE CAPTAIN REPORTED THAT JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN THE CREW FELT A JERT OR TUG TO THE AIRCRAFT, BUT THE AIRCRAFT LANDED NORMALLY AND THE CREW TAXIED TO THE RAMP. UPON POST FLIGHT INSPECTION THE CAPTAIN FOUND ABOUT 50 FEET OF TOW-CABLE TRAILING BEHIND THE AIRCRAFT. THE CREW HELPED AIRPORT POLICE INSPECT THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY AND FOUND THE TARGET HAD CRASHED INTO AN AIRPORT BORDER-FENCE GATE AT THE APPROACH END TO RWY 7 AND DAMAGED A RUNWAY APPROACH LIGHT. THE APPROACH TO RWY 7 CROSSES NEARBY JEFFERSON AVENUE, A MAIN HIGHWAY CARRYING HEAVY RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWS THAT THE PIC FAILED TO PROPERLY FOLLOW PROCEDURES TO JETTISON A TOW-TARGET, DID NOT DETERMINE THAT THE CABLE CUTTING SQUIB HAD FAILED (FIRST OF TWO AVAILABLE), INCORRECTLY DETERMINED THAT THE TARGET HAD BEEN JETTISONED, AND LANDED WITH THE TARGET IN TOW ABOUT 50 FEET BEHIND THE AIRCRAFT IN VIOLATION OF THE AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL. SEE ATTACHED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
Other reports on N527PA · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.