20250424012029I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Embraer EMB-145LR · Pierre, SD · April 24, 2025

Date
April 24, 2025 · 15:30 local
Place
Pierre, SD
Airport
Pierre Regional Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
KY7A
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N971DC
Reported as
Embraer EMB-145LR
Reported engine
Rolls-Royce AE-3007A1P
People aboard
0
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
3,700 total800 in this make and model

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 RNAV approach to runway 7 was performed. Runway 7 was the only runway available as runway 13/31 was closed and runway 25 was not usable due to tailwind limitations. There is no operational parallel taxiway associated with runway 7. The PIC was aware that the only way to exit runway 7 after landing would be to perform the 180 degree turn on the runway and taxi back to the approach end of the runway to access a usable taxiway. This was briefed with the SIC prior to landing. This was also the pic's first time landing on runway 7 at kpir and would also be his first attempted 180 degree turn on any runway in the EMB-145. Weather conditions at the time of landing were light rain showers and overcast cloud ceiling, but the visibility was 10 statute miles and the approach was completed in visual conditions. Runway 7 is "grooved" to prevent standing water on the runway by channeling it to the runway edge.

The approach was stable. Touchdown was in the touchdown zone. The aircraft was slowed using the wheel brakes and thrust reversers. Engine thrust was increased to make the thrust reverse more effective. As the aircraft was slowing through approximately 30 knots, the PIC began steering toward the right edge of the runway to create more room in anticipation of making the left 180 degree reversal turn. He did not ask for and did not receive input from the SIC as to how close the aircraft was to the right edge before initiating the left turn or during the left turn. The SIC was "heads down" completing administrative tasks during the turn.

At an estimated speed of less than 10 knots, the PIC commanded full steering tiller movement to the left and also applied left brake to assist in the turn. Left rudder, and therefore an additional 5 degrees of nosewheel deflection, was not used. The PIC stated that he was not distracted and maintained visual sight of the environment throughout the turn. The nose gear exited the runway surface. Photographs show this occurred after approximately 160 degrees of turn. Continued tiller input and left brake were applied. The left steering inputs began to bring the nose back to the runway edge as the right main landing gear exited the runway. The ground was too soft and the nose/right main landing gear too deep in the ground to get back onto the paved surface. When it became apparent that the aircraft could not get back onto the runway, the PIC shut the engines down, contacted the privacy data omitted operations personnel for assistance and ordered a passenger evacuation utilizing the main cabin door/air stairs to bus the passengers to the terminal.

As the FAA filed it

THE RNAV APPROACH TO RUNWAY 7 WAS PERFORMED. RUNWAY 7 WAS THE ONLY RUNWAY AVAILABLE AS RUNWAY 13/31 WAS CLOSED AND RUNWAY 25 WAS NOT USABLE DUE TO TAILWIND LIMITATIONS. THERE IS NO OPERATIONAL PARALLEL TAXIWAY ASSOCIATED WITH RUNWAY 7. THE PIC WAS AWARE THAT THE ONLY WAY TO EXIT RUNWAY 7 AFTER LANDING WOULD BE TO PERFORM THE 180 DEGREE TURN ON THE RUNWAY AND TAXI BACK TO THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY TO ACCESS A USABLE TAXIWAY. THIS WAS BRIEFED WITH THE SIC PRIOR TO LANDING. THIS WAS ALSO THE PIC'S FIRST TIME LANDING ON RUNWAY 7 AT KPIR AND WOULD ALSO BE HIS FIRST ATTEMPTED 180 DEGREE TURN ON ANY RUNWAY IN THE EMB-145. WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF LANDING WERE LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS AND OVERCAST CLOUD CEILING, BUT THE VISIBILITY WAS 10 STATUTE MILES AND THE APPROACH WAS COMPLETED IN VISUAL CONDITIONS. RUNWAY 7 IS "GROOVED" TO PREVENT STANDING WATER ON THE RUNWAY BY CHANNELING IT TO THE RUNWAY EDGE.

THE APPROACH WAS STABLE. TOUCHDOWN WAS IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLOWED USING THE WHEEL BRAKES AND THRUST REVERSERS. ENGINE THRUST WAS INCREASED TO MAKE THE THRUST REVERSE MORE EFFECTIVE. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLOWING THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 30 KNOTS, THE PIC BEGAN STEERING TOWARD THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY TO CREATE MORE ROOM IN ANTICIPATION OF MAKING THE LEFT 180 DEGREE REVERSAL TURN. HE DID NOT ASK FOR AND DID NOT RECEIVE INPUT FROM THE SIC AS TO HOW CLOSE THE AIRCRAFT WAS TO THE RIGHT EDGE BEFORE INITIATING THE LEFT TURN OR DURING THE LEFT TURN. THE SIC WAS "HEADS DOWN" COMPLETING ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS DURING THE TURN.

AT AN ESTIMATED SPEED OF LESS THAN 10 KNOTS, THE PIC COMMANDED FULL STEERING TILLER MOVEMENT TO THE LEFT AND ALSO APPLIED LEFT BRAKE TO ASSIST IN THE TURN. LEFT RUDDER, AND THEREFORE AN ADDITIONAL 5 DEGREES OF NOSEWHEEL DEFLECTION, WAS NOT USED. THE PIC STATED THAT HE WAS NOT DISTRACTED AND MAINTAINED VISUAL SIGHT OF THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGHOUT THE TURN. THE NOSE GEAR EXITED THE RUNWAY SURFACE. PHOTOGRAPHS SHOW THIS OCCURRED AFTER APPROXIMATELY 160 DEGREES OF TURN. CONTINUED TILLER INPUT AND LEFT BRAKE WERE APPLIED. THE LEFT STEERING INPUTS BEGAN TO BRING THE NOSE BACK TO THE RUNWAY EDGE AS THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR EXITED THE RUNWAY. THE GROUND WAS TOO SOFT AND THE NOSE/RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TOO DEEP IN THE GROUND TO GET BACK ONTO THE PAVED SURFACE. WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT GET BACK ONTO THE RUNWAY, THE PIC SHUT THE ENGINES DOWN, CONTACTED THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OPERATIONS PERSONNEL FOR ASSISTANCE AND ORDERED A PASSENGER EVACUATION UTILIZING THE MAIN CABIN DOOR/AIR STAIRS TO BUS THE PASSENGERS TO THE TERMINAL.