# Accident 20220716012439A: Easter William C M-1, Okeechobee, FL, July 16, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 16, 2022, 08:21 local time
- Place: Okeechobee, FL
- Airport: Okeechobee County
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 27.2666° N, 80.8504° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.2666&lon=-80.8504&mi=10
- Aircraft: N150MM, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N150MM) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Easter William C M-1 (registry code 1690512, https://openairdocs.org/model/easter-william-c-m-1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EASTER WILLIAM C M-1
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 540 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA22LA433](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA433) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220716012439A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

1) ON JULY 16, 2022, BETWEEN THE TIMES OF 0810-0822 (L), THE PILOT OF AN AIRCRAFT WITH THE REGISTRATION OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MADE A STRAIGHT IN APPROACH AND LANDING TO RUNWAY 5 AT OKEECHOBEE COUNTY AIRPORT, FLORIDA (KOBE).

2) THE PILOT OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS FOLLOWING OTHER AIRCRAFT IN A GROUP 5 THAT WERE LINED UP TO LAND ON RUNWAY 5 BEFORE THE RUNWAY WAS SCHEDULED TO CLOSE.  THERE WAS A NOTAM ISSUED FOR RUNWAY 5 AT KOBE TO BE CLOSED AT 0830 (L).

3) AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS A HOMEBULIT M-1 AIRCRAFT.  IT IS A LOW WING SINGLE SEAT AIRPLANE WITH A CONVENTIONAL LANDING GEAR CONFIGURATION.

4) ON VERY SHORT FINAL ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STRUCK THE UPPER PORTION OF A CLOSED RUNWAY MARKER (THE "X") BREAKING THAT PART OFF.  THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON RUNWAY 5.  ACCORDING TO VIRTOWER AIRPORT OPERATIONS TRACKING N150MM LANDED AT 0821 (L) AND WAS ON THE APRON AT 0822 (L).  THE ADS-B TRACKER MARKS THE END OF THE OPERATION AT 0822 (L).

5) THE RUNWAY CONSTRUCTION COMPANY SCHEDULED TO WORK ON RUNWAY 5 STARTING AT 0830 HAD PLACED THE MARKER IN THE GRASS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE RUNWAY 5 THRESHOLD AT ABOUT 0810 (L).  IT WAS ERECTED TO A HEIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY 14 FEET AND WAS REPORTED BY PILOTS TO BE UNLIT.

6) THE IMPACT CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

7) THE 1215Z METAR REPORTED THE WEATHER AT KOBE AS: 04004KT 10SM CLR 26/26 A3004.

8) THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY SAID THEY HAD PERMISSION TO PUT THE "X" MARKER WHERE IT WAS PLACED BUT DID KNOW WHO GAVE THAT PERMISSION.

9) THE PILOTS IN THE GROUP THAT WERE LANDING ON RUNWAY 5 AROUND THE SAME TIME DESCRIBED THEIR VISUAL OF THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE "X" MARKER AS ONLY VISIBLE ON VERY SHORT FINAL, ONLY SAW IT AS THEY FLEW OVER IT, OR DIDN'T SEE IT.

10) THE PILOTS IN THE GROUP STATED THAT THERE WAS NO MENTION OF A MARKER (OR OBSTACLE) POSITIONED THE GRASS IN FRONT OF RUNWAY 5 ON THE KOBE CTAF DURING THE INITIAL CALL FOR ADVISORIES OR BY THE PILOTS THAT WERE ABLE TO AVOID THE OBSTACLE.

NOTE: ONE OTHER AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE "X" MARKER SLIGHTLY PRIOR TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^WHICH CAUSE MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA22LA433](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA433), Jul 16, 2022: Easter William C M-1 (N150MM), Okeechobee, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The premature placement of an airport runway closure marker short of the runway, which resulted in the airplane’s collision with the marker during the landing approach. Contributing was the pilot’s…

## Other reports on N150MM (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20151014016689I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20151014016689I), Oct 14, 2015: Easter William C M-1 (N150MM), Greeley, CO, Minor damage. At approximately 10:00 am on October 14, 2015 pilot was taking off from runway 35 at Greeley airport on a pleasure flight. There was a quartering tailwind on…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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