What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 18, 2023 at approximately 0018 hours, a Honda aircraft company HA-420, ran off the departure end of runway 24 at the Summerville Airport (kdyb), traveled down a steep embankment before coming to rest and subsequently catching on fire. The aircraft was destroyed.
The PIC stated he was monitoring the weather at dyb and decided to delay their departure till after the rainstorms had passed dyb. The aircraft departed wilkes county airport (ufk) at approximately 2329 hours on an instrument flight plan to Summerville Airport (dyb).
The pilot flew the RNAV 24 approach at dyb coupled to the autopilot and took over hand flying the aircraft around 600 ft. the pilot stated he flew the final approach at vref 120 with full flaps and touched down early in the touchdown zone and immediately applied full brake pressure as he had been taught. The PIC stated the brakes began to pulsate on and off but slower than he had experienced in the past. Because of this, the aircraft was not slowing down as it should. The PIC considered a go around but then he states the left brake grabbed and caused the nose of the aircraft to yaw to the left then the aircraft yawed to the right. Because of the skids left and right the PIC was not able to align the aircraft with the runway to perform a go around. The aircraft continued down the runway and into the grass. The pilot stated once the aircraft contacted the grass there was no deceleration or braking. The aircraft continued through the grass and down an embankment and came to rest on rocks used to control erosion on the steep bank. The PIC stated once the aircraft came to a stop, a fire was noticed under and around the right wing. The PIC and all 5 passengers were able to exit the aircraft from the main cabin door and called 911.
At 0015, the weather at dyb was reported as winds calm, visibility 6 miles, mist, few clouds at 200 ft, broken clouds at 3200 ft, overcast at 10,000 ft, temperature 21 degrees c, dewpoint 21 degrees c and a barometric pressure of 29.97 in hg.
At the time of this report the cause of this accident is still under investigation by the NTSB. Focus is on the power brake anti-skid system. Once a determination by the NTSB is made this report will be updated.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 18, 2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 0018 HOURS, A HONDA AIRCRAFT COMPANY HA-420, RAN OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 24 AT THE SUMMERVILLE AIRPORT (KDYB), TRAVELED DOWN A STEEP EMBANKMENT BEFORE COMING TO REST AND SUBSEQUENTLY CATCHING ON FIRE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
THE PIC STATED HE WAS MONITORING THE WEATHER AT DYB AND DECIDED TO DELAY THEIR DEPARTURE TILL AFTER THE RAINSTORMS HAD PASSED DYB. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED WILKES COUNTY AIRPORT (UFK) AT APPROXIMATELY 2329 HOURS ON AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN TO SUMMERVILLE AIRPORT (DYB).
THE PILOT FLEW THE RNAV 24 APPROACH AT DYB COUPLED TO THE AUTOPILOT AND TOOK OVER HAND FLYING THE AIRCRAFT AROUND 600 FT. THE PILOT STATED HE FLEW THE FINAL APPROACH AT VREF 120 WITH FULL FLAPS AND TOUCHED DOWN EARLY IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE AND IMMEDIATELY APPLIED FULL BRAKE PRESSURE AS HE HAD BEEN TAUGHT. THE PIC STATED THE BRAKES BEGAN TO PULSATE ON AND OFF BUT SLOWER THAN HE HAD EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST. BECAUSE OF THIS, THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN AS IT SHOULD. THE PIC CONSIDERED A GO AROUND BUT THEN HE STATES THE LEFT BRAKE GRABBED AND CAUSED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO YAW TO THE LEFT THEN THE AIRCRAFT YAWED TO THE RIGHT. BECAUSE OF THE SKIDS LEFT AND RIGHT THE PIC WAS NOT ABLE TO ALIGN THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE RUNWAY TO PERFORM A GO AROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED DOWN THE RUNWAY AND INTO THE GRASS. THE PILOT STATED ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GRASS THERE WAS NO DECELERATION OR BRAKING. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED THROUGH THE GRASS AND DOWN AN EMBANKMENT AND CAME TO REST ON ROCKS USED TO CONTROL EROSION ON THE STEEP BANK. THE PIC STATED ONCE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP, A FIRE WAS NOTICED UNDER AND AROUND THE RIGHT WING. THE PIC AND ALL 5 PASSENGERS WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE MAIN CABIN DOOR AND CALLED 911.
AT 0015, THE WEATHER AT DYB WAS REPORTED AS WINDS CALM, VISIBILITY 6 MILES, MIST, FEW CLOUDS AT 200 FT, BROKEN CLOUDS AT 3200 FT, OVERCAST AT 10,000 FT, TEMPERATURE 21 DEGREES C, DEWPOINT 21 DEGREES C AND A BAROMETRIC PRESSURE OF 29.97 IN HG.
AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT THE CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE NTSB. FOCUS IS ON THE POWER BRAKE ANTI-SKID SYSTEM. ONCE A DETERMINATION BY THE NTSB IS MADE THIS REPORT WILL BE UPDATED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.