OpenAirDocs.org

20210409005069I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Cessna 421C · Olathe, KS · April 9, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
April 9, 2021 · 11:48 local
Place
Olathe, KS
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N5478G
Reported as
Cessna 421C
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
7,560 total700 in this make and model31 in the last 90 days
N5478GRegistered now · Cessna 421CS/N 421C0225 · Built 1976Airframe modelCessna 421CEngine modelContinental GTSI0-520-F-KReciprocating

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 investigation revealed that N5478G, a CE-421 had veered off the right side of the departure end of runway 18 after landing. There were visible tire marks on the runway from the excursion that began about 550-600 feet prior to the runway end. The aircraft came to rest at a 90 degree angle in the grass between runway 18 and taxiway alpha. The top of a runway light was missing/sheared off as a result of the aircraft departing the runway. The aircraft sustained minor damage. The pilot stated that there were no known flight control malfunctions. The pilot explained that he had floated and landed past his landing target on the runway but did not estimate approximately how many feet down the runway that the touchdown was. The witnesses, both pilots, estimated that the aircraft touched down more than halfway down the runway, at approximately 2,100-2,200 feet. After the touchdown, the pilot stated that he was experiencing difficulty with slowing down during the landing rollout even though he attested that the brakes seemed to be working normally. He stated that he did not want to go off the end of the runway straight ahead so he made the decision to veer off into the grass to the right of the runway. The pilot and witnesses attested to a light tailwind on the approach to land. The wind sock, which was less than halfway extended, also indicated a light tailwind.

As the FAA filed it

THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT N5478G, A CE-421 HAD VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 18 AFTER LANDING. THERE WERE VISIBLE TIRE MARKS ON THE RUNWAY FROM THE EXCURSION THAT BEGAN ABOUT 550-600 FEET PRIOR TO THE RUNWAY END. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE IN THE GRASS BETWEEN RUNWAY 18 AND TAXIWAY ALPHA. THE TOP OF A RUNWAY LIGHT WAS MISSING/SHEARED OFF AS A RESULT OF THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTING THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THERE WERE NO KNOWN FLIGHT CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS. THE PILOT EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD FLOATED AND LANDED PAST HIS LANDING TARGET ON THE RUNWAY BUT DID NOT ESTIMATE APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY THAT THE TOUCHDOWN WAS. THE WITNESSES, BOTH PILOTS, ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN MORE THAN HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY, AT APPROXIMATELY 2,100-2,200 FEET. AFTER THE TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY WITH SLOWING DOWN DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT EVEN THOUGH HE ATTESTED THAT THE BRAKES SEEMED TO BE WORKING NORMALLY. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO GO OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY STRAIGHT AHEAD SO HE MADE THE DECISION TO VEER OFF INTO THE GRASS TO THE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT AND WITNESSES ATTESTED TO A LIGHT TAILWIND ON THE APPROACH TO LAND. THE WIND SOCK, WHICH WAS LESS THAN HALFWAY EXTENDED, ALSO INDICATED A LIGHT TAILWIND.