20200212004029A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piaggio P180 · Broomfield, CO · February 12, 2020

Date
February 12, 2020 · 22:25 local
Place
Broomfield, CO
Airport
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Ai
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N677P
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN20LA083
Reported as
Piaggio P180
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A series
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,828 total36 in this make and model34 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.

The aircraft departed burbank at approximately 1745 PST. It was originally scheduled to depart at 1430 PST, but the PIC decided to delay for a few hours to see if the weather improved in denver. Once it improved they departed. Departure, climb out and enroute were normal. Cruised at FL350. Planned and briefed arrival, PWDR1 to 30R ILS. Once the PIC heard ATIS, bjc was landing on runway 12L, he requested the approach to 30R as the runway lighting is better in that direction. The PIC calculated he would have a 2 knot tailwind component and a 5-6 knot crosswind. The PIC got a fairly rapid decent and turn to final outside of alike. He was at 7000FT. It appeared the aircraft would not be established on the localizer FAR enough before alike for the PIC?s preference so he asked for vectors to go around and re-intercept. This was accomplished with no issue. The PIC flew the approach at ref +10, 130KTS given the landing weight and potential icing. The PIC saw the runway lights at approximately 6800FT and executed a normal approach to landing, wheels touching at approximately 112KTS. On short final the PIC received an updated runway report from tower indicating packed snow and moderate braking. Main gear touchdown was smooth. Once the nose gear touched down, a yaw to the left was observed. Correction with right rudder was attempted, yaw was slowed but the aircraft still drifting left of centerline. Both props were in beta at this point and reverse applied on right to help move nose right. This had little impact. Brakes were also touched but it was clear they were only skidding given available traction. At this point the plane started to yaw and slide on the surface. (Note that the nose wheel is free castering until you get to a very slow speed and engage steering.) At this point, the aircraft departed the left side of the runway and skidded through the snow. Ground speed was around 40 KTS at this point. The left drift continued and the plane spun in the snow and tipped as it did so causing the forward wing and main wing tips to contact the ground on the right side. Once the plane stopped the PIC immediately shut down both engines, opened main door and had passengers exit. After exiting the PIC contacted tower using a handheld radio.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED BURBANK AT APPROXIMATELY 1745 PST. IT WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO DEPART AT 1430 PST, BUT THE PIC DECIDED TO DELAY FOR A FEW HOURS TO SEE IF THE WEATHER IMPROVED IN DENVER. ONCE IT IMPROVED THEY DEPARTED. DEPARTURE, CLIMB OUT AND ENROUTE WERE NORMAL. CRUISED AT FL350. PLANNED AND BRIEFED ARRIVAL, PWDR1 TO 30R ILS. ONCE THE PIC HEARD ATIS, BJC WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 12L, HE REQUESTED THE APPROACH TO 30R AS THE RUNWAY LIGHTING IS BETTER IN THAT DIRECTION. THE PIC CALCULATED HE WOULD HAVE A 2 KNOT TAILWIND COMPONENT AND A 5-6 KNOT CROSSWIND. THE PIC GOT A FAIRLY RAPID DECENT AND TURN TO FINAL OUTSIDE OF ALIKE. HE WAS AT 7000FT. IT APPEARED THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED ON THE LOCALIZER FAR ENOUGH BEFORE ALIKE FOR THE PIC?S PREFERENCE SO HE ASKED FOR VECTORS TO GO AROUND AND RE-INTERCEPT. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH NO ISSUE. THE PIC FLEW THE APPROACH AT REF +10, 130KTS GIVEN THE LANDING WEIGHT AND POTENTIAL ICING. THE PIC SAW THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AT APPROXIMATELY 6800FT AND EXECUTED A NORMAL APPROACH TO LANDING, WHEELS TOUCHING AT APPROXIMATELY 112KTS. ON SHORT FINAL THE PIC RECEIVED AN UPDATED RUNWAY REPORT FROM TOWER INDICATING PACKED SNOW AND MODERATE BRAKING. MAIN GEAR TOUCHDOWN WAS SMOOTH. ONCE THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN, A YAW TO THE LEFT WAS OBSERVED. CORRECTION WITH RIGHT RUDDER WAS ATTEMPTED, YAW WAS SLOWED BUT THE AIRCRAFT STILL DRIFTING LEFT OF CENTERLINE. BOTH PROPS WERE IN BETA AT THIS POINT AND REVERSE APPLIED ON RIGHT TO HELP MOVE NOSE RIGHT. THIS HAD LITTLE IMPACT. BRAKES WERE ALSO TOUCHED BUT IT WAS CLEAR THEY WERE ONLY SKIDDING GIVEN AVAILABLE TRACTION. AT THIS POINT THE PLANE STARTED TO YAW AND SLIDE ON THE SURFACE. (NOTE THAT THE NOSE WHEEL IS FREE CASTERING UNTIL YOU GET TO A VERY SLOW SPEED AND ENGAGE STEERING.) AT THIS POINT, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND SKIDDED THROUGH THE SNOW. GROUND SPEED WAS AROUND 40 KTS AT THIS POINT. THE LEFT DRIFT CONTINUED AND THE PLANE SPUN IN THE SNOW AND TIPPED AS IT DID SO CAUSING THE FORWARD WING AND MAIN WING TIPS TO CONTACT THE GROUND ON THE RIGHT SIDE. ONCE THE PLANE STOPPED THE PIC IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGINES, OPENED MAIN DOOR AND HAD PASSENGERS EXIT. AFTER EXITING THE PIC CONTACTED TOWER USING A HANDHELD RADIO.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.