What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Airman ran off end of runway:
The following information was obtained by interviewing the airman and was later confirmed upon review of audio recordings:
The airman (PIC for N4119S) contacted ground control (gc) with a request for touch and go landings. The school primarily allows full stop / taxi back operations.
The airman contacted tower (lc) and announced he was holding short rwy 22R. (No request for touch and gos). Lc gave take off clearance and the airman repeated the clearance.
The next radio transmission involved lc stating that oxford 641 was cleared to land and the airman repeated. At no time did the airman clarify that he wanted touch and go operations.
The airman landed approximately 1,200' past the threshold, but was still unsure if he should continue with a touch & go. The airman stated that he was waiting for lc to state specifically what he was to do. Approximately 1,900' he added power to take off again and stated that since the sun was in his eyes he could not see the end of the runway.
With the lc thinking the airman wanted full stop / taxi back operations, she instructed the airman to turn right at taxiway E1, taxi to rwy 22R. This instruction was given when approximately 200' remained. The E1 taxiway is essentially at the end of the runway and therefore, the final opportunity to slow the aircraft for safe taxi operations.
The airman stated he was not sure if he should continue with his take off since he was close to take off speed, so he removed his feet from the brakes, then decided to exit the runway at E1.
The airman allowed the aircraft to depart the end of the runway at close to 40 KTS ground speed. The aircraft then fell off a retaining wall and the bottom side of the fuselage impacted the retaining wall resulting in cracks and damage to the fuselage, gear, flaps, ailerons. The prop and flywheel separated from the aircraft.
The lc called the airman twice to determine if the airman needed assistance. Eventually, the airman responded with a request for assistance.
Only two radio transmissions were made prior to the airman allowing the aircraft to run off the end of the runway. Neither time did the airman request touch & go landings, nor did the airman attempt to clarify his intent was not to conduct full stop / taxi back operations.
As the FAA filed it
AIRMAN RAN OFF END OF RUNWAY:
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED BY INTERVIEWING THE AIRMAN AND WAS LATER CONFIRMED UPON REVIEW OF AUDIO RECORDINGS:
THE AIRMAN (PIC FOR N4119S) CONTACTED GROUND CONTROL (GC) WITH A REQUEST FOR TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. THE SCHOOL PRIMARILY ALLOWS FULL STOP / TAXI BACK OPERATIONS.
THE AIRMAN CONTACTED TOWER (LC) AND ANNOUNCED HE WAS HOLDING SHORT RWY 22R. (NO REQUEST FOR TOUCH AND GOS). LC GAVE TAKE OFF CLEARANCE AND THE AIRMAN REPEATED THE CLEARANCE.
THE NEXT RADIO TRANSMISSION INVOLVED LC STATING THAT OXFORD 641 WAS CLEARED TO LAND AND THE AIRMAN REPEATED. AT NO TIME DID THE AIRMAN CLARIFY THAT HE WANTED TOUCH AND GO OPERATIONS.
THE AIRMAN LANDED APPROXIMATELY 1,200' PAST THE THRESHOLD, BUT WAS STILL UNSURE IF HE SHOULD CONTINUE WITH A TOUCH & GO. THE AIRMAN STATED THAT HE WAS WAITING FOR LC TO STATE SPECIFICALLY WHAT HE WAS TO DO. APPROXIMATELY 1,900' HE ADDED POWER TO TAKE OFF AGAIN AND STATED THAT SINCE THE SUN WAS IN HIS EYES HE COULD NOT SEE THE END OF THE RUNWAY.
WITH THE LC THINKING THE AIRMAN WANTED FULL STOP / TAXI BACK OPERATIONS, SHE INSTRUCTED THE AIRMAN TO TURN RIGHT AT TAXIWAY E1, TAXI TO RWY 22R. THIS INSTRUCTION WAS GIVEN WHEN APPROXIMATELY 200' REMAINED. THE E1 TAXIWAY IS ESSENTIALLY AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND THEREFORE, THE FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO SLOW THE AIRCRAFT FOR SAFE TAXI OPERATIONS.
THE AIRMAN STATED HE WAS NOT SURE IF HE SHOULD CONTINUE WITH HIS TAKE OFF SINCE HE WAS CLOSE TO TAKE OFF SPEED, SO HE REMOVED HIS FEET FROM THE BRAKES, THEN DECIDED TO EXIT THE RUNWAY AT E1.
THE AIRMAN ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO DEPART THE END OF THE RUNWAY AT CLOSE TO 40 KTS GROUND SPEED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN FELL OFF A RETAINING WALL AND THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE IMPACTED THE RETAINING WALL RESULTING IN CRACKS AND DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE, GEAR, FLAPS, AILERONS. THE PROP AND FLYWHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
THE LC CALLED THE AIRMAN TWICE TO DETERMINE IF THE AIRMAN NEEDED ASSISTANCE. EVENTUALLY, THE AIRMAN RESPONDED WITH A REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE.
ONLY TWO RADIO TRANSMISSIONS WERE MADE PRIOR TO THE AIRMAN ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO RUN OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY. NEITHER TIME DID THE AIRMAN REQUEST TOUCH & GO LANDINGS, NOR DID THE AIRMAN ATTEMPT TO CLARIFY HIS INTENT WAS NOT TO CONDUCT FULL STOP / TAXI BACK OPERATIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.